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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's party is likely to score a landslide victory in next week's lower house election, a survey by the Asahi newspaper showed, heightening the chance the country will continue to pursue big spending and tax cuts, Reuters reported. 

A strong showing in Sunday's election would solidify Takaichi's grip on her party and give a mandate for her expansionary fiscal policy, which could heighten concerns about Japan's finances and push bond yields higher.

"Implementing expansionary fiscal policy at a time the economy is at near full employment would heighten inflationary pressure" and weaken the yen, said Ryutaro Kono, chief Japan economist at BNP Paribas, according to Reuters. 

A 132-kV transmission line has come into operation in Karnali Province, marking the first transmission line operated by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in the province.

According to NEA Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya, the launch of the 132-kV Surkhet transmission line under the Kohalpur–Surkhet–Dailekh Transmission Line Project is expected to accelerate economic growth in the province.

Karnali had long been facing problems such as system overload, frequent power supply disruptions, and low voltage, as it relied solely on a 33-kV transmission line. With access to high-capacity transmission services, the province is now expected to witness industrial development with increased power consumption.

Project Chief Rabi Kumar Chaudhary said that construction of the approximately 52-kilometre Kohalpur–Surkhet section has been completed as directed by the NEA. 

He added that work on the second phase, covering the Surkhet–Dailekh section, will now be intensified.

Constituent Assembly member and former minister Jitendra Dev has quit the CPN-UML. He issued a statement on Feb 2 informing that he has quit the UML due to disagreement with the party’s ideology, policies and practices that lead it towards individualism and deification and to operate it in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner.

Dev from Saptari was in UML politics for a long time and after leaving the UML, he joined the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Loktantrik led by Vijay Kumar Gachhadar and became a member of the Constituent Assembly.

After the Forum Loktantrik merged with the Congress, he again left the party where he was a member of the National Assembly from the Congress. After the term of the National Assembly member ended on March 3 2024, he returned to the UML on July 1 2024.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has forgiven 267 Nepali prisoners on the occasion of the 54th National Day (Eid Al Etihad).

The government of Nepal has welcomed this as a humanitarian and friendly step and expressed its gratitude to the UAE government. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision to pardon was taken following the initiative of the Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi and a request made as per the instructions of the Ministry.

If there are no other legal cases or restrictions, the Nepali citizens will be able to return home after completing the necessary legal procedures.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in collaboration with the KOICA Alumni Association of Nepal (KAAN), organized a Departure Orientation Program for the 2025 Part II (January Intake) group of Master’s and Doctoral Scholarship Awardees at the KOICA Nepal Office on January 29. 

The orientation program provided essential information about their academic programs, host universities in Korea, Korean life and culture, departure procedures, and other practical aspects of studying abroad. 

Addressing the event, Choong Hee Choi, Deputy Country Director of the KOICA Nepal Office, congratulated the awardees and shared valuable insights to help them prepare for their academic journey in Korea.

To date, a total of 175 government officials have successfully completed their Master’s degree programs through KOICA’s Scholarship Program. 

In the current academic year, eight government officials have been awarded scholarships for the August and January intakes. Among them, two have been selected for Ph.D. programs in e-Government and Public Management, while the remaining six will pursue Master’s degrees in various disciplines.

In addition to long-term scholarships, KOICA continues to support Nepal through short-term capacity-building programs

In 2025, a total of 75 government officials from various ministries and departments participated in the capacity-building program focused on strengthening health emergency coordination and operational systems, enhancing e-learning skills of TVET instructors, improving post-harvest management of fruits and vegetables, and developing impact-based early flood warning systems in Nepal. 

All initiatives were formally requested by the Government of Nepal and implemented with KOICA’s technical support.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 13, 400 per tola in the domestic market on Monday. .  

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 286, 600 per tola today.  

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 300 and is being traded at Rs 5, 200 per tola.

Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign Nigeria international Ademola Lookman, the LaLiga club confirmed on Sunday, Reuters reported ​​​​​. 

"The Nigerian international is already in Madrid to undergo the relevant medical examination and finalise his new contract," Atletico said in a statement on their website.

Atletico gave no details about the transfer fee or the length of contract. Spanish media reported that Atletico would pay 35 million euros ($41 million) for the forward, according to Reuters. 

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham is set to miss around a month of action after suffering a hamstring injury during their 2-1 LaLiga victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, the club confirmed, Reuters reported. 

The 22-year-old England midfielder was forced off after nine minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bellingham pulled up awkwardly while chasing a long ball and immediately clutched the back of his left thigh. Despite walking off the pitch, he was visibly upset, leaving the field in tears, according to Reuters.