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The month-long Swasthani Brata Katha festival dedicated to Hindu goddess Swasthani concluded today.

The festival began on the full moon day of the Nepali month of Paush.

The recitation of dialogues between two mythical characters Kumar and Agashtya Rishi  narrated in the Skanda Puran, is a major part of the festival.

Offerings such as holy threads, beetle nuts, fruits, delicacies, flowers, red sandalwood, vermilion powder and clothes were offered to goddess Swasthani on the concluding day of the festival.

It is believed that strict observance of rituals during the festival brings the separated couple together, helps one overcome troubles and get a good spouse, among other things.

The Swasthani Katha, which has 31 chapters, is a story of how Goma Brahmani is reunited with her son Nawaraj, who later became the king of Lawanya as a result of her going through Swasthani fasting rituals. It also narrates the story of goddess Parvati, who had observed the Swasthani rituals wishing to get Lord Shiva as her husband.

Those who did not conclude the fasting at mid-day today can conclude it on Krishna Panchami, it has been said. 

The US Embassy Nepal concluded the Creator’s Mela 2026: Vision to Venture, which began on Jan 30 in Kathmandu with a two-day session. The Kathmandu program follows the series of programs earlier held in Chitwan and Nepalgunj, marking the expansion of a multi-city platform aimed at strengthening Nepal’s digital creator ecosystem.

The Kathmandu edition brings together digital creators, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and corporate decision-makers for two days of panel discussions, hands-on workshops, live performances, and networking sessions designed to transform creative passion into sustainable business ventures.

A key highlight of the program is the flagship “Pitch to Success” platform, where selected creators present their business ideas directly to a panel of leading corporate executives from Nepal. Participants receive real-time feedback, mentorship, and strategic guidance to help scale their creative ventures into commercially viable enterprises.

The 2026 theme, “Vision to Venture,” reflects the Mela’s shift from content creation toward enterprise building. By integrating US expertise in technology, platform monetization, and digital business development, the initiative provides creators with a practical roadmap to convert digital influence into long-term careers and businesses.

The Kathmandu edition featured a diverse lineup of speakers and performers, including Cabinet Shrestha, Anand Bagaria, Ashwin Neupane, Mansi Agrawal, Kabita Nepali, Ujan Shakya, and Neetesh Jung Kumar, representing voices from entertainment, digital media, entrepreneurship, and business leadership. The opening day witnessed the participation of around 11,000 aspiring and emerging content creators, highlighting the growing momentum of Nepal’s digital creative community.

The US Embassy Nepal concluded its multi-city Creator’s Mela 2026 with a two-day finale in Kathmandu on January 30–31 at Aloft Hotel. Since its inception in 2023, Creator’s Mela has evolved into a premier hub for Nepal’s digital landscape. Now in its fourth edition, the Vision to Venture initiative reaffirms the US Embassy’s commitment to professionalizing Nepal’s creator economy and supporting economic growth across the country

More than 1,400 employees are to be deployed in Baitadi for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5. 

According to the District Election Office, 1,442 employees will be deployed in 214 polling stations.

Election Office Chief Khagendra Bharati shared that details have been requested from government offices here for the mobilization of employees for the elections. He said that the work of collecting details of employees to be deployed in the elections and mobilizing them will be taken forward within a few days.

There are 11 candidates in Baitadi standing for a lone constituency in the district with 156,372 voters. 

Out of them, 78,987 are men, 77,383 are women and two fall under the 'other' category. 

Eight employees will be deployed in polling stations with more than 500 voters and seven in centers with less than that, shared Information Officer Naresh Dayal.

From a security perspective, 33 polling stations in the district have been placed on the highly sensitive list. According to the District Security Committee, out of 129 polling stations, 33 have been classified as highly sensitive, 28 as sensitive and 68 as general.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 18, 800 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 300, 000 per tola today.  It was traded at Rs 318, 800 per tola on Friday.  

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 1, 565 and is being traded at Rs 5, 500 per tola.

Two tankers suspected of illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers were detained and more than 512 million ringgit (US$129.9 million) worth of crude oil seized 24 nautical miles west of Muka Head, Penang last week, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said on Saturday, Reuters reported. 

The agency did not specify the origin of the oil being transferred.

The waters off Malaysia are known as a regular site for illegal ship-to-ship transfers, where oil is shifted between tankers at sea to obscure its origin. Malaysian authorities said in July last year they would more tightly enforce rules around the practice, according to Reuters. 

Pakistan' military says it has killed at least 92 militants blamed for deadly co-ordinated attacks in the south-western Balochistan province on Saturday, Reuters reported. 

The military said 15 security service personnel and 18 civilians were also killed. It accused India of supporting the militants. Delhi has repeatedly denied such accusations.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebel group had earlier claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying dozens of soldiers were killed, according to Reuters. 

Mark Savaya, named by U.S. President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer in that role, sources familiar with the move said, Reuters reported. 

The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Washington's push to curb Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.

Savaya, a Christian Iraqi-American entrepreneur, was among a handful of Arab Americans named to senior posts by Trump, who campaigned heavily during the 2024 presidential election to win the Arab and Muslim vote in Detroit and around the country, according to Reuters. 

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal organized a program to mark the 2026 Korean Language Promotion Day at Bishwa Bhasa Campus, Kathmandu on January 22. 

Speaking at the event, Korean Ambassador to Nepal Tae-young Park urged Hangeul School and King Sejong Institute to further promote Korean Language Education in Nepal. 

Ambassador Park said that the Embassy has been organizing various programs to promote culture, language exchanges between Nepal and Korea. 

He also expressed that through the mutual cooperation programs, the close ties will be further strengthened and the bilateral relationship will reach new heights.

The Korean Embassy in Nepal has been working closely with the EPS Center, Tribhuvan University and Higher Secondary Schools in Nepal to Support Korean Language Education. 

The Embassy has been providing Korean language textbooks to Korean language Education centers in response to the growing interest in learning Korean in Nepal.

Korea’s education system is widely admired across Asia, while the global popularity of K-pop, Korean dramas, films, and video games has sparked growing interest in learning the Korean language among international fans.