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Sri Lankan Foreign Minister M. U. M. Ali Sabry paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel at the latter’s office in Sheetal Niwas on Friday.

Issues related to bilateral relations, mutual interests and cooperation between Nepal and Sri Lanka  were discussed in the meeting, the President’s Office said.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecasting Division has urged people to take necessary precaution against cold as the temperature is on a decreasing trend across the country.

Cold has increased with the drop in mercury throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. The minimum temperature in Kathmandu today is 4.5 degrees Celsius and the maximum 19 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Kathmandu is between 4 to 5 degrees Celsius and the maximum in the range of around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius since the last three to four days.

Extreme cold has intensified in Kathmandu due to the fall in temperature. Although the days are sunny, much cold is experienced in the morning and evening.

The lowest temperature of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius is recorded in Jumla and minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in Jomsom, the Division said.

The Westerly wind has partial impact in Nepal at present and the weather is partly cloudy to generally fair due to this weather system. It will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and partly cloudy to generally fair in the rest of the provinces tonight.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of the above provinces and partly cloudy to mostly fair in the rest of the provinces tomorrow (December 23). There are chances of light rain in one or two places of the hilly regions of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces.

The Division stated that there is a possibility of light snowfall in one or two places of the high-hilly and mountainous region of Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has inaugurated Inaruwa substation today. Inaruwa substation is considered one of the important projects for strengthening power transmission and distribution systems.

Constructed at Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality-4 of Sunsari district, the 400-Kv substation is one of the largest substations constructed in the country.

The country's second largest substation based on Gas Insulated System (GIS) was charged in the second week of October. 

Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, former minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, high-officials of Energy Ministry, Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Kul Man Ghising, among others were present in the inauguration ceremony.

The next substation of 220/132/33 kV has already come into operation in Inaruwa. There are three power transformers of 315-MVA in 400/220 kV Inaruwa substation constructed under 400-kVHetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa substation expansion project. Around 4,000 MW electricity would be transmitted from Inaruwa substation after the completion of 400 kV Inaruwa- Dhalkebar transmission line.

NEA Executive Director Ghising said Inaruwa substation is the backbone for transmitting electricity produced from hydropower projects at different districts of Koshi Province, for consumption of power locally and to export surplus electricity to India.

Executive Director Ghising said, "Electricity will be supplied locally in addition to the electricity flow from the substation to the national transmission grid. This will improve the voltage in that area thereby ensuring reliable supply of electricity."

Ghising further said that the Inaruwa-Purnia 400 KV cross-country transmission line has been proposed for power trade with India and Inaruwa-Anarmani 400 KV transmission line has been proposed for trade among Nepal-India and Bangladesh from this sub-station.

The Inaruwa sub-station, according to him, has become another huge electricity center to supply electricity from east to west within the country and export to India besides regional power trade.

Moreover, the substation would be significant to supply additional electricity to the industries within the Morang-Sunsari Industrial Corridor. The electricity generated from Arun and Tamor Rivers and their tributaries would be linked to the Inaruwa Sub-Station through Koshi Corridor 220 KC transmission line.

It may be noted that there has been a proposal to construct the Arun 'Hub' Inaruwa 400 KV transmission line.

The Authority said that the Inaruwa Sub-Station has been built in such a way that it can be expanded in future.

Various factors such as inundation, COVID-19 pandemic and prohibitory order and lack of timely availability of tools and technicians among others had adversely affected the substation construction process.

Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche is a spiritual Guru, the author of the book titled Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath and the president of the Universal Peace Sanctuary. 

When the globe-trotting Guru was recently in Lumbini to lay the foundation stone of a universal peace sanctuary, Devendra Gautam caught up with him to discuss his journey, world peace, international tensions and ways to find inner peace—even in crowded settings that he frequently finds himself in, with friends and aides always in their toes to remind him of some or other important engagement. Excerpts from the interview:   

What brings you to Lumbini?

From the foothills of the Himalayas to the United States, it has been a long journey. While spreading the message of peace, love and compassion based on Gautam Buddha’s teachings,  I have traversed the length and breath of the US, a rarity even for most Americans. 

While journeying around the world, many of my friends suggested: How about establishing monuments for world peace and spreading Gautam Buddha’s messages through them?

The suggestion sounded wonderful. A search for locations for establishing such a shrine brought me to Lumbini in Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha. 

While talking about the contributions of Shakyamuni Buddha, we tend to forget the sacrifices of Mayadevi, Buddha’s mother and the wife of Shuddodhan, the king of Kapilvastu. 

She chose to give birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautam, who later transformed into Gautam Buddha, undeterred by a prophecy that she would die soon after childbirth. The prophecy came true. 

The world would not have gotten its Buddha if Mayadevi had decided to choose her own life over her child’s. Like Mayadevi, mothers make great sacrifices, giving and nurturing life. Without them, life would not be possible. 

The Universal Peace Sanctuary to be built in Lumbini is dedicated to Mayadevi; it is dedicated to mothers around the world; it is dedicated to world peace; it is dedicated to humanity as a whole and not just to one sect or the other.      

Your dream project—Universal Peace Sanctuary—suffered delays during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, project work has resumed with the laying of the foundation stone for the sanctuary. How long will it take for this project to materialize?

It’s teamwork, you see. We need support from all quarters, including the media and donors, among others. Our aim is to build a superstructure with a very long lifespan, a structure that can withstand mega-quakes, so our team of engineers has designed it accordingly. 

Talking about its features, the hall of the sanctuary will have room for 1500 people. 

Also, we are building a monument for the whole of humanity and not just for some cast or creed. 

Think about the impact such a monument built on the sacred land of Lumbini will have on Nepal’s economy as a whole, not just on the tourism sector. Ideally, the government should support such a project, shouldn’t it? 

Rather than seeking support from any government in a deeply-polarized world, we are reaching out to the people for help. A large number of people from various walks of life turned up from far and near for the foundation stone-laying ceremony and laid stones. A huge turnout has encouraged us further. 

Rome was not built in a day and I want this spirit of cooperation to continue as we move ahead with this project. 

 Developing a superstructure like this takes time, resources and cooperation from all sides. I have friends who are super-rich and willing to donate for this cause. But I have made it clear to them that I need unconditional support, whether it’s just a dollar or a huge sum. 

As for the project completion deadline, we are working with the aim of completing this monument within three years.

Is any particular country supporting your project? 

No. Nonetheless, we want selfless people from all walks of life to contribute to this project. 

Your future plans?

The plan is to build similar shrines for the entire humanity around the world. At present, we have centers of faith for different sects and not for humanity as a whole. We want to change that by building monuments for all humans. The idea is to build universal peace sanctuaries the world over. You see, peace costs far less than war. The idea is to make peace more fashionable than war.  

Please suggest ways to tame the monkey mind.

You don’t need to tame ‘the monkey mind’. The idea is to let it wander, to let it buzz with ideas. But you should keep a close watch over it.  

 Rather than taming the monkey mind, our focus should be on understanding it. 

By understanding it right, we can choose right from wrong. That way, we will not do something that will make us repent later.  

So, the challenge is to understand your mind. And meditation is the best way to understand it.

A woman tried to immolate herself by sprinkling petrol on her body demanding swift rescue of her husband who has been stranded in Dubai.

Afruj Khatun of Phulbari, Bhadrapur-8, Jhapa attempted to set herself on fire by reaching the office of Bhadrapur Municipality on Thursday demanding the safe rescue of her husband Akbar Ansari.

Khatun had reached the office of municipal Chief Ganesh Pokharel at around 10 am yesterday to request him to rescue her husband Ansari who has been living as a prisoner in Dubari for the past two months.

While talking with Pokharel, she abruptly sprinkled petrol on her body which she had concealed in her shawl. The staffers present there saved her while she was about to strike the matchstick.

Municipal Chief Pokharel said that he had talked with Ansari from the mobile phone of Khatun a few days ago. During the conversation, he told Ansari that they are taking efforts to rescue him safely.

It has been learnt that she tried to immolate herself after she came to know that five persons who were stranded with Ansari were rescued and her husband was left behind.

Ansari, who has been operating a furniture shop in Bhadrapur, had gone to Dubai through Recruitment Pvt. Ltd on October 15.

Chief of the Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma has admitted to the parliamentarians that the Nepali Army would be unable to complete the Kathmandu Tarai/Madhes Fast-Track within the stipulated deadline of April 2027. The project was handed over to the army in 2017, setting a four-year deadline.

This setback has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the fate of this national pride project. Over the past six years, the project has achieved only 28.56 percent physical progress and 29.44 percent financial progress. After widespread criticism of its inability to expedite the project, the army is now passing the blame on other state agencies. Moreover, CoAS Sharma contended that the new deadline cannot be achieved if necessary laws are not amended.

The state mechanisms must address and overcome the hurdles facing the army, particularly those related to felling trees, land acquisition, and the import of explosive materials. As far as strict environmental laws are concerned, they are not only for the army; they apply to all. The army was aware of these laws before it accepted the project. In the first place, the army should not have accepted the government's offer to implement the project because building an expressway is beyond its technical capacity. Additionally, their involvement in business and infrastructure works is already tarnishing their image as a professional and apolitical institution.

The decision to award the project to the army was rooted in the belief that it could execute development works more efficiently than other state mechanisms. However, the army has struggled to expend the government-allocated funds in recent years. Given the economic strain that the government is facing, the army might face a fund crunch even if it expedites the project. People are raising concerns about the delay today. Tomorrow will bring inquiries into the transparency of expenditures and related issues as it involves taxpayers’ money. Instead of deflecting blame onto other state entities, the army leadership should, therefore, earnestly consider expediting the project. If the army feels that it cannot complete the project, it is better to tell the government frankly.

The Tarai-Madhes Fast-Track Project has taught a lesson to both the army and the political leadership. The army shouldn't engage in such infrastructure development works. Instead, it should focus on strengthening the institution to deal with emerging security challenges, particularly those arising from climate-induced disasters. The more the national army engages in controversial projects, the more it risks damaging its reputation. Politicians should refrain from awarding projects merely to appease the national army. And, parliamentarians instead of engaging in publicity stunts should work to resolve the problems faced by the Army in fast track to complete it on time. 

Tension ran high after a person died in police custody in Dhunusha.

The deceased has been identified as Dipa Mandal.

Mandal’s relatives alleged that she died due to police torture. They said that Mandal was taken to hospital after her condition became serious and died during the course of treatment.

Following the incident, a clash ensued between the anguished locals and police personnel when the former tried to picket the police station. A person was injured in the police firing.

A local said that police lobbed dozens of teargas shells to take the situation under control.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has provided Rs 3 million in assistance to the Nepal Children's Organization.

The amount would be used for different purposes including managing housing, food and health care to the children residing in the Organization.

Deputy Mayor of KMC Sunita Dangol handed over the amount to Chairperson of Organization Bidya Neupane.

On the occasion, Deputy Mayor Dangol said that the KMC doled out the assistance amount after receiving complaints about the challenges the Organization is facing for the management of food and health care.

In the current fiscal year, the KMC is to provide Rs 5 million to the Organization.