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Vice President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Dol Prasad Aryal has urged the party’s newly elected lawmakers to fulfill their responsibilities while maintaining the civic trust and confidence placed in them.

Addressing an orientation and introduction program organized by the party for its newly elected lawmakers, Aryal echoed the need for both the party and its representatives to work in the best interests of the nation and its people.

“It is necessary to form a government that can deliver effectively so that citizens can truly feel the presence of the state, end corruption, and establish good governance. Political parties that held state power for a long time are now facing consequences due to their past wrongdoings. This has made our party and the people's representatives more responsible and accountable to citizens,” he said.

Another Vice President, Swarnim Wagle, stressed the need for preserving public trust by respecting and safeguarding the mandate given by voters. 

He added that the party had received a significant level of public support, reflecting strong faith from the electorate.

“Establishing a functional and accountable system is one of the core commitments of our party. The people’s mandate is sufficient for us to act, and we are obliged to deliver with honesty,” he stated.

Wagle also urged party lawmakers to carry out their legislative duties responsibly, recognize the significance of the public mandate, prioritize public concerns, and raise their voices if the party becomes involved in any wrongdoing.

According to the party’s General Secretary, Kabindra Burlakoti, the program aimed to familiarize newly elected lawmakers with parliamentary practices, legislative procedures, policy formulation, and the roles of parliamentary committees.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed heartfelt condolences to KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of the CPN-UML, who is in mourning.

President Paudel visited the residence of former Prime Minister Oli in Gundu, Bhaktapur to express his condolences and other members of the mourning family.

Former Prime Minister Oli's father, Mohan Prasad Oli, passed away last Friday at the age of 97.

Dozens of people are feared dead or injured at a drug treatment centre in Afghanistan's capital after an air strike that the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan, BBC reported. 

The centre in Kabul was hit on Monday evening, killing some people and injuring others, the government's spokesman said on X.

Pakistan denied striking any health facility, saying it "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure" in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangahar, according to BBC. 

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Bir Hospital have signed an agreement to provide free testing and preliminary treatment for breast and uterine cancers.

The agreement was signed on Monday by Dipak Kumar KC, Chief of the Health Department at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office, and Hospital Director Prof Dr Dilip Sharma.

Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol and Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragain were present at the event.

The Acting Mayor said that cancer causes many premature deaths among women, emphasizing that regular screening and testing are vital for prevention and timely treatment.

Hospital Director Prof Dr Sharma highlighted that early screening is essential in preventing breast and cervical cancers among women. 

He warned that assuming “I have no symptoms, so I don’t need testing” can worsen the situation later, stressing that screening is important even when a person is asymptomatic.

According to KC, women aged 30–60, those who missed last year’s tests, and individuals showing positive symptoms will be included in the screening and preliminary treatment program.

The cancer screening will begin on March 30, with 100–120 women examined each day. 

Cervical cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers among women in Nepal.

The 41-kilometer section from Aabukhaireni to Jamune in Tanahun under the Muglin–Pokhara road expansion project has been completed.

The construction company handed over the section to the government on Monday. 

This road is in the market area and it has been expanded to four lanes in rural areas. 

Information Officer of the road expansion project, Bishnu Prasad Pandey, said that as per the agreement the company will carry out road maintenance for the next five years.

This road section has been expanded with a loan of Rs 6. 31  billion  from the Asian Development Bank.

Persian Gulf states did not ask the U.S. to go to war with Iran, but many are now urging it not to stop short by leaving the Islamic Republic still able to threaten the Gulf’s oil lifeline and the economies that depend on it, three Gulf sources said, Reuters reported. 

At the same time, these sources and five Western and Arab diplomats said Washington was pressing Gulf states to join the U.S.-Israeli war. According to three of them, U.S. President Donald Trump wants to show regional backing for the campaign to bolster its international legitimacy as well as support at home.

“There is a wide feeling across the Gulf that Iran has crossed every red line with every Gulf country,” said Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center and familiar with government thinking, according to Reuters. 

President Donald Trump was ​warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against U.S. Gulf allies despite his claims on Monday (March 16, 2026) that Tehran’s reaction came as a surprise, said a U.S. official and two sources familiar with ​U.S. intelligence reports, Reuters reported. 

Pre-war intelligence assessments did not say that Iran’s response was “a guarantee, ⁠but it certainly was on the list of potential outcomes,” said one source, who like the other two requested anonymity to discuss the issue.

The president twice on Monday (March 16, 2026) said that Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, ‌the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait were a surprise, the first time at a Kennedy Center board meeting in the White House, according to Reuters. 

The Election Commission (EC) is to provide certificates to the winners of the House of Representatives (HoR) elections under the proportional representation (PR) system on Wednesday.

According to Krishna Bahadur Raut, the Election Officer of the PR electoral system, the winners of the HoR seat under the PR system will be given certificates at 11:30 am on Wednesday at the EC premises.

The name of 110 candidates elected under the PR system from the HoR elections conducted on March 5 was released by the EC on Monday.   

According to the EC, six different political parties have gained the status of national party by crossing a minimum threshold of three percent of the total valid votes. 

Under the PR system, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has won 57 seats, Nepali Congress 20, CPN-UML 16 and nine by the Nepali Communist Party. Likewise, Shram Sanskriti Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party won equal four seats under the PR system.  

The election process of the HoR elections conducted on March 5 will be completed after providing certificates to the winning candidates.