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The Election Commission (EC) has made an arrangement that the political parties can obtain details of voters across the country by paying certain charges. 

According to the House of Representatives Member Elections Directive prepared by the EC, the political parties can access the list of voters across the country by paying Rs 10,000. 

For this, arrangements have been made to provide the information to parties registered for election purposes in the commission. 

The commission will provide the details electronically except for the voter's date of birth, citizenship number, and mobile number, it is stated. 

The commission will provide such details on a hard drive or pen drive. The details of one province can be obtained by paying Rs 5,000.

The election officer should allow any voter, party representative, or candidate wishing to see or transfer the voter list name at their own expense to do so in a manner that does not permit tearing, damaging or tampering with the voter list. 

As per the arrangement, If a voter wishes to obtain their own voter list, the election office should provide a copy of the list containing only the particular voter's details upon charging Rs 10,000. 

Similarly, the election office should provide an electronic copy of the voter list to political parties and independent candidates upon charging Rs 3,000 for the district list and equal charge for the voter list of any single electoral constituency. 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has strongly criticised U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump and urged the world not to let the world order disintegrate into a "den of robbers" where the unscrupulous take what they want, Reuters reported. 

In unusually strong remarks, which appeared to refer to actions such as the ousting of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the weekend, the former foreign minister said global democracy was being attacked as never before.

Although the German president's role is largely ceremonial, his words carry some weight and he has more freedom to express views than politicians, according to Reuters. 

US President Donald Trump has said that his country's involvement in Venezuela could last for years, BBC reported. 

He told the New York Times that "only time will tell" how long his administration would "oversee" the running of the South American nation following the seizure by US forces of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a raid on Saturday. 

Trump also did not say if or when elections would be held in Venezuela to replace the interim government headed by Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodriguez, according to BBC. 

The Venezuelan government has begun releasing detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups, in what officials described as a goodwill gesture, BBC reported. 

Spain's foreign ministry said five of its nationals, including one dual national, had been released. Among them is thought to be rights activist Rocio San Miguel.

The move comes after the US took Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in a lightning raid on the capital, Caracas, on Saturday, to face drug trafficking charges in New York, according to BBC. 

Huge crowds of protesters have been marching through Iran's capital and other cities, videos show, in what is said to be the largest show of force by opponents of the clerical establishment in years, BBC reported. 

The peaceful demonstrations in Tehran and the second city of Mashhad on Thursday evening, which were not dispersed by security forces, can be seen in footage verified by BBC Persian.

Later, a monitoring group reported a nationwide internet blackout, according to BBC. 

US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R. Thompson and Dr Suresh Suras Shrestha, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTA) signed a Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) to safeguard Nepal’s cultural heritage and prevent illicit trafficking of artifacts. 

Under the agreement, the US will restrict import of designated Nepali archaeological (32,000 BCE–1770 CE) and ethnological (13th c.–1950) materials unless accompanied by a Nepali export certificate. Covered items include religious objects, manuscripts, and architectural elements.

The CPA strengthens bilateral cooperation, curbs looting, promotes responsible stewardship, supports cultural tourism, and fosters collaboration with US museums and researchers.

On the occasion, Ambassador Thompson stated, “the CPA underscores the deep respect the United States holds for Nepal’s cultural heritage.  It strengthens cooperation to prevent illicit trafficking, supports lawful cultural exchange, and reinforces our shared responsibility to protect Nepal’s cultural heritage for future generations.”

Secretary for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Mukunda Prasad Niroula said, “The Government of Nepal would like to thank the Government of the United States for its continued partnership in protecting Nepal’s cultural heritage.  Over the past two decades, this partnership through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and now the Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) reflects the strong Nepal–U.S. collaboration and our shared commitment to preventing illicit trafficking of cultural property and preserving cultural heritage for future generations.”

With 30 such agreements in force worldwide, the United States is a global leader in cultural heritage preservation.

The Cultural Property Agreement with Nepal builds on the United States’ longstanding commitment to protecting Nepal’s sovereignty and heritage, which includes support through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) for 28 projects over the past two decades.  

These projects have restored historic monuments and manuscripts, safeguarded cultural heritage sites, and recently established Nepal’s first modern conservation laboratory in Lumbini.

US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R Thompson today paid a farewell call on President Ram Chandra Paudel. 

During the meeting held at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas, the two discussed matters relating to the Nepal-US ties, mutual interests and concerns, according to the Office of the President. 

Thompson has served as the US Ambassador to Nepal since October, 2022. 

US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the US from dozens of international organisations, including many that work to combat climate change, BBC reported. 

Among the 66 groups, nearly half of them are bodies of the United Nations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - a treaty that underpins all international efforts to combat global warming.

The White House said the decision was taken because those entities "no longer serve American interests" and promote "ineffective or hostile agendas".