FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Congo officials over financial misconduct

FIFA's ethics committee launched disciplinary proceedings against three senior ​Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) officials on Wednesday, including president Jean-Guy Mayolas, over allegations of financial misconduct, Reuters reported. 

Mayolas, his ​wife and his son ​were sentenced to life in prison ⁠earlier this month after ​a criminal court in Congolese capital ​Brazzaville convicted them of embezzling $1.1 million in FIFA funds. Media reports said ​their whereabouts were not known ​and they were tried in absentia.

FECOFOOT general ‌secretary ⁠Wantete Badji and treasurer Raoul Kanda are also subject to the disciplinary proceedings, FIFA said. ​Badji ​and Kanda ⁠were sentenced to five years each in prison ​by the court in ​Brazzaville ⁠for related charges, according to Reuters. 

Final World Cup ticketing phase is first-come, first-served

Fans looking for one last opportunity to get tickets to this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America will get their ​chance on April 1.

And that's no joke.

FIFA announced Wednesday that ‌a fourth and final phase of ticket sales will take place starting at 11 a.m. ET on April 1 and will remain open through the ​end of the tournament, Reuters reported. 

Tickets in the "Last-Minute Sales Phase" will ​be available to the general public on a first-come, first-served ⁠basis through FIFA's official ticketing website, where fans will be ​able to select specific seats for various available matches or use ​a "book the best seat" feature.

Newly elected HoR members to take oath today

Newly elected members of the House of Representatives are scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy today.

Eldest member of the House of Representatives, Arjun Narsingh KC, of the Nepali Congress will administer the oath of office and secrecy to fellow HoR members at 2 pm, shared Federal Parliament Secretariat Spokesperson Ekram Giri. 

President Ram Chandra Paudel had administered the oath of office and secrecy to KC on Wednesday.

The oath of office and secrecy ceremony of the members of the House of Representatives will be held at the newly constructed multi-purpose hall in Singha Durbar. 

According to the Federal Parliament Secretariat, 47 MPs have registered to take the oath in their mother tongue, other than Nepali language. Out of them, 17 are to take the oath in Maithili language.

In the election of members of the House of Representatives held on March 5, the Rastriya Swatantra Party came first with 182 seats while the Nepali Congress stood second with 38, the CPN-UML won 25 seats, the Nepali Communist Party 17, the Shram Sanskriti Party seven, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party won five seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moderate rainfall likely in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki today

The weather today will remain generally cloudy in the mountainous regions, partly cloudy in the hilly regions, and mainly fair weather in the Tarai today. 

According to the Weather Forecasting Division, there is a possibility of moderate rain and snowfall with thunder and lightning at a few places in the mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces, and at one or two places in the remaining hilly and mountainous regions.

Meteorological Analysis by the Division states that at present Nepal is under the partial influence of westerly winds along with local winds.

 

 

RSP to pick Balen Shah as PP leader today

The Central Committee meeting of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is scheduled to be held this afternoon at the party's central office in Banasthali, Kathmandu.

Joint General Secretary Bipin Acharya said that the meeting has been called to elect senior party leader Balendra Shah popularly known as Balen Shah as the Parliamentary Party leader.

The CC meeting will be held after the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected members of the House of Representatives. 

The RSP had announced Shah as the candidate for Prime Minister in the March 5 House of Representatives elections.

The RSP emerged as the first party with a total of 182 seats, giving way for the formation of the next government under its leadership. 

Shah is likely to be unanimously chosen as the RSP's Parliamentary Party leader, paving the way for him to become the next Prime Minister of Nepal.

 

Two business firms penalized, 17 cautioned

The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has imposed a cash penalty on two firms after they were found violating the law during an on-site inspection.

The department issued a press release on Wednesday stating that it has imposed a fine of Rs 201,000 on Pilgrims Grocery Pvt. Ltd., Swayambhu, and a fine of Rs 10,000 on RS Grocery and Gas Shop, Lalitpur, Bhaisepati. 

Similarly, instructions for correction have been given to 17 more firms in the federal capital.

The firms were fined in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS. 

The department has been regularly conducting market inspections with the participation of local people representatives, consumer rights activists and concerned parties.

 

Iran wants Lebanon included in any ceasefire, sources say

Iran has told intermediaries that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement with ​the United States and Israel, six regional sources familiar with Iran's position said, linking an end of the war to ‌a halt to Israel's offensive against Hezbollah, Reuters reported. 

Iran's Press TV on Wednesday cited an Iranian official saying Tehran wanted any deal with the United States to secure an end to the war both on Iran and other "resistance groups" in the region.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Tehran was still reviewing a U.S. proposal to ​end the regional war raging for nearly a month, indicating that Tehran had so far stopped short of rejecting it outright.

Iran says it is reviewing US proposal to end war

Iran is reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war in the Gulf but has no intention of holding talks to end the ‌widening Middle East conflict, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. 

The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi suggested some willingness by Tehran to negotiate an end to the war if its demands were met, despite an initial response that was negative as Iranian officials publicly poured scorn on the prospect of any negotiations with the U.S.

The exchange of messages through mediators "does not mean negotiations with the U.S.," Araqchi said on state television, according to Reuters.