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Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to stubborn Leganes thanks to an own goal by defender Jorge Saenz on Saturday that took their unbeaten LaLiga run to 12 matches, Reuters reported.

Hansi Flick's side moved to 70 points above second-placed Real Madrid, who have 63 and visit Alaves on Sunday.

"For us today was a very difficult game but winning was very important. I am proud of what my team is doing in the last few weeks and months," Barca boss Flick said.

"We need to work on our defence and attack. But we've got three points and that's what's important," he added.

In a tense first half, the hosts could have taken the lead when Dani Raba's pass found Adria Altimira in the box, but Barclona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was on hand to deny him.

Barca also threatened when Jules Kounde beat Saenz to the ball before firing wide, according to Reuters.

The deadlock was finally broken after the break when Barca took the lead after Raphinha's cross for Robert Lewandowski was inadvertently deflected into the net by Leganes defender Saenz.

Twenty-eight-year-old Sujan Baga Shrestha will pierce his tongue for the third time in the 'Tongue Piercing Festival' celebrated every New Year on Baisakh 2 in Bode, Madhyapurthimi Municipality.

Sujan is the youngest son of 50-year-old Buddha Krishna Baga Shrestha of Bode, who pierced his tongue nine times as part of the festival. Buddha Krishna's elder brother Krishna Chandra Baga Shrestha pierced his tongue for 12 times.

Sujan said that he is ready to get his tongue pierced this year as well to preserve and give continuity to the festival.

As per tradition the tongue piercing takes place in the presence of thousands of devotees in the premises of the ancient Pancho Ganesh Temple. After piercing the tongue, the person carries a crescent-shaped lamp and circumambulates the city of Bode. After circumambulating the Mahalakshmi Temple in Bode the needle from the tongue is removed and stuck to the Mahalakshmi Temple. 

So far, there is a history of 13 people who have pierced their tongues continuously for the past 108 years.

Two people have died in a tractor accident at  Setibagar of Bhojpur Municipality-3 on Saturday.

The tractor (Province 1-02-003 Ta. 1124) was carrying cow dung from Bokhim- 5 of the municipality when the accident occurred.

The deceased have been identified as 52-year-old Nir Prasad Phuyal, ward member of Bhojpur Municipality-5, and 55-year-old Bhakta Bahadur Thapa, a resident of the same locality, according to District Police Office Chief Yubaraj Timsina. 

Further investigation into the incident is underway while the tractor driver has been taken into custody for necessary action, the police said.

There is influence of Westerly and local wind across the country at present. Along with this, there is also the influence of the moisture-laden wind entering the country from the Arabian Sea, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. 

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region and mainly fair in the rest of the regions. Light to moderate rainfall is predicted at a few places of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces while light to moderate precipitation accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of the hilly region of the country including in Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini Provinces and at one or two places of the rest of the regions today. 

Similarly, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall at a few places in the high hilly and mountainous region of the country today.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division also stated that the haze that is prevalent throughout the country at present will gradually start dissipating.

The Division has called for taking necessary measures and precautions to avoid the effects of thunderstorm, lightning and rain and snowfall that could affect health, daily life, agriculture and road and air transport.

The Hotel Association of Pokhara has organized the Phewa Festival from today. The tourism festival organized on the eve of the Nepali New Year 2082 BS will run till April 14.

The hotels in Pokhara are offering 20 percent discount to the tourists visiting the Lake City as part of the 20th Phewa New Year Festival-2082. 

Association President and Festival Coordinator Laxman Subedi said that the Bisket Jatra of Bhaktapur will be a special attraction in the Festival this time. The Bisket Jatra is a typical traditional cultural festival mostly celebrated in the ancient Newar town of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley.

The Phewa Festival will showcase the original culture of 11 districts of Gandaki Province. Musical programmes including the performance of the typical 'bhajans' and 'ratyauli' are also included in the festival. 

Entry to the festival will be free and the event will be held on the three-kilometre road from Khaharechowk to Damsite in Pokhara.

Tourism, culture and food will be the main attraction of the festival, according to the organizers. The festival will feature the province-level indigenous and traditional cuisine, presentation of cultural programmes, recreational sports programs  and tourist race competitions. The Badminton Cup is a new attraction this time.

Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Province and Pokhara Metropolitan City are the promoters of the festival.

At present, the occupancy of tourists in Pokhara hotels is 60 percent and it is expected to reach 90 percent on the occasion of the Festival, said Subedi.

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has made a profit of Rs 9.55 billion in the fiscal year 2024/25. This information was shared in the Corporation's 43rd Annual General Meeting on Friday. 

In the last fiscal year, the corporation imported petroleum products worth Rs 356.72 billion and sold the same worth Rs 364.52 billion. 

The corporation has sold petroleum products worth Rs 383 billion in the previous fiscal year 2023/24.

The state-owned corporation, which has a monopoly on import and sale of petroleum products, has been facilitating the supply of petroleum products across the country.

Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak has said the arrests of those responsible for the violent demonstrations by pro-monarchists on March 28   continue to take place. 

During a meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, the House of Representatives today, the Minister said the main accused in the demonstrations, Durga Prasai, has been apprehended. 

He added that the Council of Ministers has already decided to ensure free treatment for those injured in the demonstrations. "The government will bear the cost if the need to buy medicines outside the hospital pharmacies," he said. "I have visited the injured at hospitals." 

According to the Minister, the process has been initiated to provide compensation of Rs one million each to the families of two killed in the demonstrations. He described the Tinkune demonstrations as a violation of the Constitution. 

He further asserted that there is a space for expressing dissatisfaction in the constitutional and democratic system, but there is no excuse for seeking an alternative to democracy and for the regression. 

The government has taken the Tinkune incident seriously. Such incidents must not recur, he added. "We are clear that the incident was predetermined and is a crime capable of spreading terror and anarchy."

The Kathmandu District Court on Friday remanded Durga Prasai to 12 days in custody for his alleged involvement in the violent pro-monarchy protest in Tinkune on March 28.

A single bench of Kathmandu District Court Judge Shishirraj Dhakal remanded Prasai and his associate Deepak Khadka to 12 days in custody.

According to police, investigation will be conducted against both of them on the charges of committing crime against the State and organized crime.

Durga Prasai, who was arrested from Assam, India, was brought to Kathmandu this afternoon.

He was brought to Kathmandu by Buddha Air from Bhadrapur Airport, who was earlier brought to Jhapa via Kakadbhitta border point directly from Assam.

Prasai, who had led the violent pro-monarchy protest in Tinkune on March 28, was apprehended from Assam with the help of Indian police and brought to Jhapa this morning.

Before bringing him to the airport, he was kept at the District Police Office, Jhapa.

Prasai’s bodyguard Deepak Khadka, who was detained along with him, was also brought to Kathmandu.

Controversial medial entrepreneur Prasai, who played a key role in instigating violence in the name of royalists in Tikune on March 28, claimed that he has surrendered to the Indian police.

He claimed through social media that he has turned himself in to the Indian police.

A few days ago, a team of Nepal Police had left for India to search Prasai.

He mentioned on social media that he surrendered to the Indian police at 9:13 pm after the guarantee of safety.

The pro-monarchy supporters had vandalized and torched commercial buildings and also attacked the office of Annapurna Media Network and other media outlets.

Two persons—photo journalist Suresh Rajak and Sabin Maharjan of Kirtipur had lost their lives and 129 others were injured during the violent protest.

Police have rounded up dozens in connection with the violence including Rastriya Prajatantra Party Vice Chairman Rabindra Mishra and General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana.