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The Donald Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, marking one of its most expansive efforts yet to restrict legal pathways to the United States, The Guardian reported. 

The freeze, which takes effect on 21 January, targets applicants officials deem likely to become a “public charge” – who they describe as people who may rely on government benefits for basic needs.

The state department wrote on social mediathat it “will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates”.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has conveyed her best wishes, expressing hope that the Maghi or Makar Sankranti festival inspires everyone to come together and work towards peace, stability, and prosperity. 

Prime Minister Karki offered her greetings to all Nepali sisters and brothers, both at home and abroad, emphasizing the increased necessity for unity, harmony, and mutual trust among all. 

"Today signifies 1st Magh, Maghi, Makar Sankranti, Maghe Sakranti, although the names may differ, the core meaning remains the same," Prime Minister Karki remarked in a message posted on her social media platform Facebook mentioning that this festival promotes love, harmony, tolerance, and the spirit of unity among all Nepalis."

Arsenal edged towards their first League Cup final since 2018 as they beat London rivals Chelsea 3-2 in the opening leg of their semi-final at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Reuters reported. 

Mikel Arteta's side were dominant for long spells and goals by Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi should have virtually sewn up the tie.

But Chelsea showed plenty of fight in Liam Rosenior's first home game in charge and a double from substitute Alejandro Garnacho kept their hopes alive, according to Reuters. 

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich battled past hosts Cologne 3-1 on Wednesday to record the best first half of a season in the league's history and maintain their 11-point lead at the top of the standings, Reuters reported. 

Bayern came from a goal down to earn their sixth league win in the last seven matches, and moved up to 47 points with a goal difference of +53. The previous best mark after 17 matches belonged to Pep Guardiola's Bayern from the 2013/14 season, also with 47 points but a goal difference of +35.

The Bavarians, who host Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League next week, have clear water between themselves and Borussia Dortmund in second place on 36 points, according to Reuters. 

Substitute Jefte Betancor scored twice as second-tier Albacete pulled off a dramatic 3-2 victory over Spanish giants Real Madrid on Wednesday, eliminating them from the Copa del Rey at the round-of-16 stage on Alvaro Arbeloa's managerial debut, Reuters reported. 

On a misty night at the Carlos Belmonte stadium, the energetic 17,000-strong crowd created an electric atmosphere as Albacete stunned the European powerhouses, who had sacked manager Xabi Alonsoearlier in the week.

Former Real defender Arbeloa, who was handed the reins in the wake of Alonso's dismissal, selected a largely second-string side and they struggled to impose themselves on their lowly opponents, while dense fog that shrouded large portions of the match added to the drama, according to Reuters. 

FIFA said on Tuesday it received more than 500 million ticket requests for the 2026 World Cup during a 33-day application window that closed this week, describing it as a new milestone in world sporting history, Reuters reported. 

The tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada and feature 48 teams for the first time, attracted applications from fans in all 211 FIFA member countries and territories, the football governing body said in a statement.

Each application was validated by unique credit card data, with fans submitting an average of 15 million ticket requests per day, according to Reuters. 

Five people died and three others were injured when a cargo truck overturned in Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality, Sunsari on Thursday. 

The truck (1Kha 4541), which was transporting marble from Biratnagar to Rajbiraj, lost control and overturned on the roadway, leading to the fatalities of five residents of Barju-1, as reported by the District Police Office, Sunsari. 

DSP Chandra Khadka said that the deceased have been identified as 32-year-old Birendra Gurung, 55-year-old Brahmadev Gurung, 50-year-old Tekbahadur Gurung, 28-year-old Nisu Gurung, and 55-year-old Chandra Bahadur Gurung of Barju-1. 

There were nine people in the truck: four in the front cab, including the driver, and five in the rear. 

The five individuals seated in the back were crushed by the marble and died.

The three injured persons in the cab are currently receiving treatment at Narsingh Home in Biratnagar. 

The driver fled the scene after the incident. 

A province-level security workshop has successfully concluded, focusing on essential security strategies to ensure the upcoming House of Representatives elections are conducted in a fair and fear-free manner. 

The workshop, which commenced in Rupandehi, Lumbini Province on November 25, wrapped up on Tuesday in Janakpur, Madhesh Province. 

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the federal government and the provincial government, this annual workshop has been a staple for years. This year's discussions reportedly placed a greater emphasis on internal security and election-specific safety measures. 

During the Madhes Province-level security workshop in Janakpur, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal affirmed that the current government is committed to holding the House of Representatives elections on the scheduled date.

As per the Home Minister's Secretariat, he has directed all four security agencies to ensure the elections are conducted in a clean, fair, and fear-free environment. 

The government has rolled out the Integrated Security Plan-2082 to guarantee that the House of Representatives elections, set for March 5, are executed in a clean, fair, and fear-free manner. 

In addition, the Election Police Recruitment, Selection, Appointment, and Deployment Procedures, 2082, have been approved and are currently being implemented. Consequently, the Nepal Police is advancing with the selection of 133,980 election police personnel. 

For this election, approximately 88,000 personnel from the Nepali Army, 77,000 from the Nepal Police, and around 34,000 from the Armed Police will be deployed. The Nepal Police have categorized 2,845 polling stations as general, 4,442 as sensitive, and 3,680 as highly sensitive, and have established security measures accordingly.