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Ram Ashish Yadav of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal has been elected as the Speaker of the Madhes Province Assembly.

In the election held on Sunday, Yadav got 72 votes from the seven-party alliance. 

Deputy Speaker of Madhesh Province Assembly Babita Raut Ishar announced the election of Yadav as the Speaker with 72 votes out of 96 province assembly members present at the meeting today.

Elected from Dhanusha Constituency no. 2 (B) from the JSP Nepal, Yadav was the Chief Whip of JSP's parliamentary party in the Madhesh Province Assembly.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a farewell call on Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire at his office in Singha Durbar today.

In the meeting, discussions were held on strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic and development cooperation, among other issues.

Speaker Ghimire thanked Ambassador Song, who is returning to his country after successfully completing his term, and highly praised his contribution to strengthening Nepal-China bilateral relations, expanding cooperation in economic development, and reinforcing relations between the parliaments of both countries.

Referring to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Nepal-China diplomatic relations throughout the year, Speaker Ghimire said that the various programs organized by both sides in 2025 have lifted the bilateral ties to a new height.

He stated that Nepal and China have remained good neighbours, close friends, and reliable partners, clarifying that the bilateral relationship is progressing on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding.

Speaker Ghimire reiterated that Nepal is fully committed to the One-China principle and expressed commitment not to allow any activity against China's interests on Nepali soil.

The Speaker appreciated the support provided by the Chinese leadership to transform Nepal from a landlocked country to a land-linked one. He also noted that regular visits and dialogues between Nepal-China parliamentary delegations have further broadened and strengthened bilateral relations.

Speaker Ghimire expressed Nepal's gratitude for the development assistance received from the Chinese government and emphasised that projects under the 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) agreement and other development assistance projects should be implemented promptly.

Ambassador Song during the meeting expressed that China has given high priority to diplomatic relations with Nepal. He mentioned that during his tenure, significant progress was made in implementing the agreements reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in 2020.

Ambassador Song stated that although people-to-people relations between Nepal and China are strong, economic relations have not developed to that level.

He recalled that a Nepal–China economic cooperation and investment workshop was held a few days ago and many Chinese entrepreneurs have shown keen interest to invest in Nepal.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 19. 92 points to close at 2, 595. 10 points on Sunday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 1. 96 points to close at 448. 26 points.

A total of 11,299,334-unit shares of 345 companies were traded for Rs 1. 47 billion.

Meanwhile, SY Panel Nepal Limited (SYPNL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 99 percent.

Likewise, Sindhu Bikash Bank Ltd (SINDU) was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 35 trillion.

Normal life has been adversely affected due to cold in Mahottari. 

The dense fog and mist that set from the morning continue till midday these days subsequently leading to cold wind. 

"A dense fog has formed from morning to till midday since last Wednesday. Due to the cold wind, we have not been able to go to our duty either," shared Ashraful Ryan, 30, of Matihani-8.

"It has made life more difficult," he lamented. 

While the southern part of the district saw a sharp increase in cold since last Wednesday due to foggy conditions, the northern parts have witnessed similar weather conditions since last Friday. 

These places had experienced bright sunshine till last Thursday, said Laxmi Prasad Kushbaha of Gaushala-10. 

The septuagenarian man recalled, "The weather was so good till Thursday but suddenly a thick fog set in on Friday. Since then the cold has risen sharply."

The elderly worried, "This increasing cold has given us a fear that we won't be able to survive much longer." 

He explained that although fog sets in the morning and gradually gets cleared after daytime, the cold wind blows throughout the day due to lack of sunlight. 

The impoverished settlements have been severely affected by the increasing cold. 

Marginalized and backward communities such as Mushahar, Dom, Halkhor and Mestar among others fend off cold by collecting discarded clothes, papers and plastics and burn 'Ghur' (bonfire) to heat up themselves. 

"There is no firewood to burn a bonfire. None (concerned authority) comes to see us. What shall we do," bemoaned Hemani Sada Mushahar of Bhangaha-4, adding that they have to rely on 'Ghur' to warm them up during the winter. 

Furthermore, there are difficulties in operating vehicles on the road and running air services due to inclement weather due to dense fog. 

Most of the morning flights have been affected due to poor visibility, according to the Janakpur Airport. 

Drivers operating public vehicles also admit that driving in dense fog poses huge risks of road accidents which is why they are forced to stop the vehicles at places. 

The cold wind that blows due to persistent thick fog from morning to midday has made the mornings and evenings here much colder, affecting the daily lives.

Russian forces have crossed the border with Ukraine in the northeastern Sumy region and taken about 50 residents of a Ukrainian border village into Russia, Ukrainian media quoted the military as saying on Sunday, Reuters reported. 

Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne and the Ukrainska Pravda news outlet said Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory on Saturday night in the area of the village of Hrabovske.

Most of the local residents captured from the village were elderly people, the media said, according to Reuters. 

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has emphasized the significance of remembering one's traditions and culture. 

While she acknowledged the need to gradually eliminate certain detrimental practices from cultural norms, she stressed that indigenous traditions and traditional costumes should not be forsaken. 

PM Karki expressed this during a meeting today with a delegation from the Tamu Hyul Chonji Gurung National Council. 

The council members attended the program in traditional attire. 

The Prime Minister commended their clothing and suggested that it would be fitting for the government employees to don their traditional dress at least once a week. 

"Some communities are currently seeking their identity. In the pursuit of modernity, their originality appears to be diminishing. They are often unaware of their true identity. However, we Nepalis possess a wealth of uniqueness. Our diverse original cultures and traditions must be preserved. Perhaps we should also think about implementing a policy for such attire to be worn in government offices once or twice a week," stated Prime Minister Karki on the occasion. 

During the meeting, Council General Secretary Raju Gurung extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the special event on Tamu Lhosar festival, scheduled for December 30. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's net worth surged to $749 billion late Friday after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Tesla stock options worth $139 billion that were voided last year, according to Forbes' billionaires index, Reuters reported. 

Musk's 2018 pay package, once worth $56 billion, was restored by the Delaware Supreme Court on Friday, two years after a lower court struck down the compensation deal as "unfathomable."

The Supreme Court said that a 2024 ruling that rescinded the pay package had been improper and inequitable to Musk, according to Reuters. 

South African police say a manhunt is under way after a shooting at a tavern left nine people dead and another 10 injured in a township near Johannesburg, BBC reported. 

They say about 12 unidentified gunmen arrived in two cars in Bekkersdal, "opened fire at tavern patrons and continued to shoot randomly as they fled the scene".

The shooting happened at about 01:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT Saturday). The police added that the tavern was licensed, according to BBC.