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A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump from using a 227-year-old law meant to protect the US during wartime to carry out mass deportations of Venezuelans, BBC reported.

Trump on Saturday proclaimed immigrants belonging to the Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua were "conducting irregular warfare" against the US and that he would deport them under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

But US District Judge James Boasberg on Saturday evening ordered a halt to deportations covered by the proclamation that will last for 14 days, according to media reports.

Judge Boasberg told a hearing he had heard planes with deportees were taking off and ordered them turned back, the Washington Post reported.

The law allows the US during wartime to detain and remove people threatening the country's safety without having to follow due process. It was last invoked to intern people of Japanese descent during World War Two.

There was little surprise to the proclamation on Saturday, where Trump declared Tren de Aragua was "perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States".

He had promised to use the controversial law for mass deportations during last year's campaign.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other rights group had already sued to block him from using it on Saturday before he issued the proclamation, as well, according to BBC.

At a hearing, the judge said the terms "invasion" and "predatory incursion" in the law "really relate to hostile acts perpetrated by enemy nations," and the law probably did not offer a good basis for Trump's proclamation, according to the New York Times.

An ACLU lawyer had told the New York Times he believed there were two planes of Venezuelan immigrants in the air on Sunday. The BBC has not verified that report.

The case will now move through the legal system and could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

The proclamation, and the fight around it, should rally Trump's supporters, who largely returned him to the White House on his pledges to crack down on illegal immigration and bring down prices of everyday goods. Since he was inaugurated in January, he has swiftly worked to overhaul the US immigration system.

Rights groups, along with some legal experts, are calling the invocation unprecedented, noting the Alien Enemies Act has been used in the past after the US officially declared war against other countries. Under the constitution, only Congress can declare war.

All Venezuelan citizens in the US who are at least 14 years old, members of Tren de Aragua and "are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents" were to be "apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies", under Trump's order.

Trump did not lay out in the proclamation how US officials would determine that a person is a member of the violent, transnational gang.

By using this law, instead of immigration laws that already give him "ample authority" to deport the gang's members, Trump would not have to prove that detainees are part of Tren de Aragua, said Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice in a statement.

"He wants to bypass any need to provide evidence or to convince a judge that someone is actually a gang member before deporting them," she said, BBC reported.

"The only reason to invoke such a power is to try to enable sweeping detentions and deportations of Venezuelans based on their ancestry, not on any gang activity that could be proved in immigration proceedings."

Property worth around Rs 1.5 million was reduced to ashes when a fire broke at a house with tin roof of local Krishna Hari Shrestha in Kathmandu on Saturday.

The fire, which broke out at 9: 40 pm and continued for an hour, destroyed the  one-story house of Shrestha at Syuchatar in Nagarjun Municipality-7, according to Apil Bohara, spokesperson at the District Police Range, Kathmandu.

The fire engines could not reach the house to put off the flame due to the narrow street.

However, the security personnel and locals jointly extinguished the fire with the help of two small-size fire engines. Although four other fire engines had reached around the incident site, they could not access the right place owing to a narrow street.

A police team led by chief of Kalimati Police Circle, Rupak Khadka, was mobilized to douse the fire. Even the police personnel from Swayambhu assisted the rescue team.

All household items including clothes, food grains, furniture and utensils were destroyed in the blaze.

Police have suspected that the incident might have occurred due to power leakage.

A person works hard but often gets overlooked for promotions. How should they navigate this situation—should they speak up, change jobs, or change their approach?

Answered by Kapil Sharma, counseling psychologist

It’s frustrating when you work hard but feel like no one notices. You might start questioning your worth, wondering if you should speak up, stay quiet, or even look for another job. Being ignored at work can make you doubt yourself, feel less motivated, and even cause burn out. But before you decide what to do, let’s see why this happens and how you can take charge of the situation.  

One reason could be an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ scenario. Sometimes, your hard work happens behind the scenes. If leaders don’t see it, they might not realize how much you’re contributing. Being good at your job isn’t always enough—you need to make sure others notice your efforts.  

Second would be you’re too modest. If you don’t like talking about your achievements, others might not know how much you’ve accomplished. While being humble is great, it can backfire if people who promote themselves get all the attention.  

Also, it happens when you doubt yourself. Do you feel like you’re not good enough for a promotion? This kind of self-doubt can stop you from speaking up, which makes it easier for others to overlook you.  

So, what can you do about it?  

First, it helps to understand Your Workplace. Pay attention to who gets promoted and why. Is it based on hard work, connections, or something else? Knowing this can help you figure out how to stand out.  

Next, show your achievements. Don’t assume people will notice your work. Keep a record of your successes—big projects, results you’ve delivered, and positive feedback. Share these in meetings or during performance reviews.  

Talk to your boss. Don’t wait for recognition—ask for it. Set up a meeting and say something like, “I want to grow here. What do I need to do to move up?” This shows you’re serious and opens the door for feedback.  

Work on building relationships. Get to know people outside your immediate team. Attend company events, connect with leaders, and ask for advice from senior colleagues. Networking can help you get noticed.  

If nothing works, then consider other options. If you’ve tried everything and still feel ignored, it might be time to look elsewhere. Finding a workplace that values your contributions can make a huge difference.  

Feeling overlooked doesn’t mean you’re not doing great work—it often means you need to adjust how you’re being seen. By understanding why this happens and taking steps to highlight your value, you can take control of your career.

The rhino census conducted every five years has been suspended this year due to shortage of funds.

Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ram Chandra Kandel, said that the census was being carried out with the help of donors, but it had to be suspended this year due to shortage of funds.

The government has not made any budgetary provision to keep regular records of rhinos. Although the rhino census could not be carried out this year, the status of rhinos would be known through the park's posts on the basis of signals of individual rhinos, he said.

Kandel added that the census would be conducted as far as possible by mobilizing all the human resources of the park.

He said, "Although the exact number might not be possible to ascertain as per the census, the status of the rhinos is determined on the basis of the manual observation of each rhino in a subtle way.”

The Department had been conducting rhino census in collaboration with various donor agencies partnering with the park.

One-horned rhinos are found in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shukla Phanta National Parks.

According to the latest census, Chitwan has the highest number of one-horned rhinos. A total of 752 rhinos were counted across the country in this census. There were 694 one-horned rhinos in Chitwan National Park, followed by 38 in Bardiya National Park, 18 in Shukla Phanta National Park and three in Parsa at that time.

According to the Department, there were 800 rhinos in 1950, four hundred in 1955, three hundred in 1960, one hundred in 1965, one hundred and eight in 1970, one hundred and forty-seven in 1975, three hundred and ten in 1980 and 1985, three hundred and fifty-eight in 1990 and 466 in 1995.

Similarly, there were 612 rhinos in Nepal in 2000, four hundred and nine in 2005, four hundred and thirty-five in 2010 and 645 in 2015. Earlier, the rhino census was conducted in 2021.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that "questions" remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions, BBC reported.

The Russian president was responding to a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week after talks with the US.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Putin's response to the plan as "manipulative" and called for more sanctions on Russia.

Meanwhile, the US placed further sanctions on Russian oil, gas and banking sectors.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said of the ceasefire proposal: "The idea is right - and we support it - but there are questions that we need to discuss."

A ceasefire should lead to "an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis", Putin said.

"We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners," he said. "Maybe I'll have a call with Donald Trump."

Putin added: "It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire.

"We are in favour of it, but there are nuances."

One of the areas of contention is Russia's Kursk region, Putin said, where Ukraine launched a military incursion last year and captured some territory, according to BBC.

He claimed Russia was fully back in control of Kursk, and said Ukrainian troops there "have been isolated".

"They are trying to leave, but we are in control. Their equipment has been abandoned."

"There are two options for Ukrainians in Kursk - surrender or die."

Outlining some of his questions over how a ceasefire would work, Putin asked: "How will those 30 days be used? For Ukraine to mobilise? Rearm? Train people? Or none of that? Then a question – how will that be controlled?"

"Who will give the order to end the fighting? At what cost? Who decides who has broken any possible ceasefire, over 2,000km? All those questions need meticulous work from both sides. Who polices it?"

Putin "doesn't say no directly", Zelensky said in his nightly video address, but "in practice, he's preparing a rejection".

"Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians."

The Russian leader had set so many pre-conditions "that nothing will work out at all", Zelensky said.

After Putin's remarks and Zelensky's response, there is now a clear divide between both sides' positions.

Ukraine wants a two-stage process: a quick ceasefire and then talks about a longer-term settlement.

Russia believes you cannot separate the two processes and all the issues should be decided in a single deal. Both sides seem content to argue their differences.

Ukraine believes it can put pressure on Russia, painting it as a reluctant peacemaker, playing for time. Russia, equally, believes it has a chance now to raise its fundamental concerns, about Nato expansion and Ukraine's sovereignty.

But this presents a problem for Donald Trump. He has made it clear he wants a quick result, ending the fighting in days.

And right now, Putin does not appear to want to play ball.

Speaking at the White House following Putin's remarks, Trump said he would "love" to meet the Russian leader and that he hoped Russia would "do the right thing" and agree to the proposed 30-day truce, BBC reported.

"We'd like to see a ceasefire from Russia," he said.

Speaking earlier at a meeting in the Oval Office with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had already discussed specifics with Ukraine.

"We've been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all of the other elements of a final agreement," Trump said.

 "A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed."

 On the subject of Ukraine joining the Nato military alliance, Trump said "everybody knows what the answer to that is".

The fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas came as the Trump administration further restricted access to US payment systems, making it harder for other countries to buy Russian oil.

Meanwhile, Putin met US special envoy Steve Witkoff behind closed doors in Moscow.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov rejected the ceasefire proposal put forward by the US.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin released a video it said showed Putin visiting Russia's Kursk region, symbolically dressed in military fatigues. Russia later said it recaptured the key town of Sudzha.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and now controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

More than 95,000 people fighting for Russia's military have died in the war.

Ukraine last updated its casualty figures in December 2024, when President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged 43,000 Ukrainian deaths among soldiers and officers. Western analysts believe this figure to be underestimated.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed grief over the demise of literary writer Lil Bahadur Kshetri and extended homage to his departed soul.

The Prime Minister took to the social networking site, Facebook, to pay respect to the departed soul and express deep condolences to the bereaved family members, relatives and literary fraternity.

Lil Bahadur Kshetri's novel, Basain, touched the hearts of every college student once upon a time. His 'Basain' and other novels describe the pang of migration of entire villages from Nepal to Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Bhutan during World War II.

"His novel 'Bahmaputra Ko Kinara', which won India's prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, also tells the story of the struggle of Nepalis in northeast India", the Prime Minister wrote while posting an image of writer Kshetry and the cover page of his literary piece 'Basain'.

Kshetry passed away last night at the age of 93 in Assam's capital Guwahati.

Fertilizer shortages have been a recurring issue every year, particularly during the farming season when demand is highest. This year is no exception, as farmers are once again facing difficulties due to the failure to import fertilizer on time. The delay stems from the inability of the Agricultural Materials Company, responsible for fertilizer distribution, and its contracted suppliers to adhere to their agreement.

The company does not accept fertilizer shipments that arrive after the agreed deadline. Instead, such delays result in fines and blacklisting of suppliers. Due to a dispute between the Agricultural Materials Company and a contractor, 1,300 tons of urea fertilizer have remained stuck in a warehouse at the northern Tatopani customs checkpoint for 21 months.

According to Anirudra Thapa, the warehouse manager of the Tatopani customs dry port, 3,590 tons of urea fertilizer were imported from China daily between 1 June and 17 June 2023. Of this, approximately 2,290 tons were transported from the warehouse to the Agricultural Materials Company.

“Around 1,300 tons remain in the warehouse. We are unsure of what transpired between the importer and the agricultural company. Our role at the dry port is warehouse management—storing imported goods in containers until the responsible parties complete the necessary documentation, clear customs, and arrange transport. However, the fertilizer has been stuck in the warehouse, and the suppliers have ceased communication. We have heard that the matter has occasionally reached the court,” Thapa told Annapurna. The warehouse charges rent at a rate of 17 paisa per kilogram per day. “If the suppliers had come to collect it, we would have facilitated the process as much as possible, but they have not been in touch.”

As per customs regulations, unclaimed goods must be confiscated if they are not collected within 60 days of arrival. Despite this rule, the fertilizer has remained in storage for over eight months, increasing financial liabilities. Although the fertilizer has not yet deteriorated, prolonged storage increases the risk of degradation. Additionally, the prolonged presence of the fertilizer in the warehouse has caused logistical challenges for handling other goods arriving at the Tatopani dry port.

The government provides subsidies on such fertilizers. Silk Market Pvt Ltd, Sinomac, Globalmatics, and Bidh Pvt Ltd had jointly opened a letter of credit (LC) with a bank to import fertilizer from China. However, when the shipment failed to arrive on time as per contractual terms, the Agricultural Materials Company canceled the tender. Consequently, the fertilizer remained stranded at the customs yard. The issue has been reported in the media multiple times, yet no resolution has been reached. Meanwhile, as the Finance Committee reviews amendments to the Customs Act, concerned Members of Parliament have been inspecting customs points. On Sunday, 12 MPs, including Finance Committee Chairman Santosh Chalise, visited the Tatopani customs checkpoint. Upon witnessing the stockpiled fertilizer, Chairman Chalise contacted Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ramnath Adhikari and the Agriculture Secretary to address the matter.

Tatopani Customs Checkpoint Chief Kamal Kumar Bhattarai stated, “The Customs Act is currently under review by the Finance Committee. The monitoring team inspected the customs office and checkpoint, expressed concern over the prolonged storage of fertilizer, and raised the issue directly with the Agriculture Minister from my office. The team conducted their inspection on Sunday and returned on Monday.”

According to Bishnu Prasad Pokharel, Managing Director of the Agricultural Materials Company, three years ago, Silk Market Pvt Ltd, Sinomac, Globalmatics, and Bidh Pvt Ltd entered into a joint venture (JV) contract with the company. Even under the initial agreement, fertilizer deliveries were delayed. At the time, the company imposed legal penalties, confiscated deposits, and blacklisted the suppliers. In response, the companies sought legal intervention, and the court temporarily halted punitive actions.

Following the court's decision, the suppliers did not immediately deliver the fertilizer but eventually shipped it later. The original contract required the suppliers to import 25,000 tons of urea fertilizer. Subsequently, a revised agreement stipulated that the fertilizer already held at customs would be delivered to the Agricultural Materials Company within 30 days, while the remaining 21,500 tons would be supplied within 107 days.

“Despite the 30-day commitment, it took them 8–9 months to deliver just 1,300 tons. Even after 300 days, they failed to supply the remaining fertilizer. We extended deadlines multiple times, sent formal requests, and urged compliance. However, as no action was taken, we were compelled to impose penalties and blacklist the companies once again,” Pokharel explained.

On the occasion of Phagu Poornima devotees have thronged the Bhimsen Temple in Bhaktapur.

Marking the festival, a large number of people visit the Bhimsen Temple in Ardash, Yachhen Bhimsen Temple in Yachhen, and Tachpal Bhimsen Temple in Dattatray for a darshan and worshipping.

It is a religious belief that worshipping the deity Bhimsen on the day of Phagu Poornima opens up new sources of income and business flourishes.

The festival of Phagu is celebrated by worshipping the Bhimsen deity and eating samaya baji, a Newari delicacy.

Also called Bhising Pooja in the local language, on this day local women dressed up in hakupatasi, a Newari traditional costume, worshiping the deity Bhimsen, savor samaya baji and walk around the neighborhood celebrating Phagu, the festival of colors.

Later this evening, the large wooden male linga or penis, on display at the Tachpal Bhimsen Temple in Dattatray, is taken around the city, washed in the river at the Brahmayani Temple, and placed back to the temple, to conclude this year's Phagu festival.