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China's military on Tuesday said it had begun joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence", calling Taiwan's President Lai Ching-Te a "parasite", Reuters reported.

The exercises around the democratically governed island, which China views as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring under its control, come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month.

China detests Lai as a "separatist," and in a video accompanying the Eastern Theater Command's announcement depicted him as cartoon bug held by a pair of chopsticks above a burning Taiwan.

"The focus is on exercises such as combat readiness patrols at sea and in the air, seizing comprehensive control, striking maritime and land targets and imposing blockade controls on key areas and routes," the Eastern Theater Command said on its official WeChat social media account, according to Reuters.

A male tiger taken under control from Tedhuwa village of Belauri municipality-2 in Kanchanpur district will be released in the core area of the Shuklaphant National Park.

The adult wild cat was found in a wheat field on Sunday. It was later darted by a team of forest technicians and kept at the Office of Division Forest Office, Kanchanpur.

"The full grown tiger is in good health now. There is no injury either," said Chief of the District Forest Office, Ram Bichari Thakur. It would be released in a safe area of the national park. 

The forest technicians took the wild cat under control by darting with the mobilization of two elephants. Even a drone camera was used to locate the tiger in the wheat field.

The government has decided to provide 100 thousand US dollars as financial support to the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday evening decided to provide the grant to AIT in view of its financial crisis and Nepal being its founding member, according to government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is embarking on Thailand visit this afternoon to attend the 6th summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), is also scheduled to address a programme at AIT.

PM Oli is holding an official visit to Thailand at the friendly invitation of his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The government has decided to recommend the President to prorogue the current session of the federal Parliament (House of Representatives and National Assembly) effective from midnight (April 1).

The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday evening took a decision in this regard, according to government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung.

The current session of the Parliament had begun on January 31.

The President has the right to summon and prorogue the session of any or both Parliament as per Constitution.

The Embassy of Israel in Nepal dedicated a full day to community service at the organization- Tulasi Foundation- in Lalitpur to mark the spirit of ‘Good Deeds Day’ on Monday.

With an aim to spread kindness and compassion, the Embassy family, together with members of the Shalom Club (Nepali alumni who studied in Israel), spent the day with children and elderly citizens under the care of the foundation, sharing a hot meal, engaging in various fun activities and creating memories together, reads a statement issued by the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu.

The Embassy also donated essential food supplies, fruits, and toys for children.

Expressing his joy, Ambassador Shmulik Arie Bass said, “TikunOlam” (World Fixing) is a concept in Judaism that means nurturing and improving humanity's lifestyles, according to the statement.

In modern times,the concept of Good Deeds Day was also invented in Israel in 2007 coordinating 7,000 volunteers in hundreds of NGOs for the society to raise the value of ongoing assistance during all the year to make Humanity and standard of living better in our world. This year more than 110 countries including Nepal have joined the efforts to help make the world better even with a small gesture. Let’s make the World better!”

The Embassy of Israel has been organizing Good Deeds Day in previous years as well, taking a break from regular Embassy work and spending a day doing community work. This initiative reflects Israel’s commitment to social responsibility and volunteerism, for the betterment of the society. 

Good deeds day is an annual tradition dedicated to doing good together, volunteering time, energy and expertise for the benefit of the society.

President Ram Chandra Poudel has certified five bills that were passed by both houses of the federal Parliament and submitted for certification.

President Paudel has certified the bills submitted for certification in accordance with Article 113 (2) of the Constitution, according to a press statement issued this evening by the Spokesperson of the Office of the President, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai.

The bills certified to take a form a Act include Bill designed to amend some Nepal Acts related to Promotion of Good Governance and Delivery of Public Services, 2081, Bill designed to amend some Nepal Acts related to Cooperatives, 2081, Bill related to Economic Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment), 2081, Privatization Bill  (First Amendment), 2081 and Bill designed to amend some Nepal Acts relating to Improving Economic and Business Environment and Promoting Investment, 2081,

These bills, which were presented by the government as replacement bills for the Ordinances on the same, were passed by both houses of the federal Parliament today.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said the government is highly sensitive regarding the March 28 incident that took place in Tinkune of Kathmandu, causing the loss of lives and property.

He said this during a  meeting with the delegation from the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) at his office today.

The eight-member delegation led by General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal submitted a memorandum to the Minister, concluding that media houses and media persons were targeted during the demonstration. He demanded a fair investigation into the incident. 

Receiving the memorandum, Minister Lekhak said an anarchic and violent mob was responsible for the violence. "The group was just intended to commit a crime." 

It was not associated with any ism or principle, according to him who further elaborated that the destructive mob demonstrated violence and as a result, media and the journalists bore the brunt of it. "The government is very much sensitive over the incident."

The government is determined to find out facts surrounding the arson on a house with journalists, assaults on media houses, according to the Home Minister.

"The death of journalist Suresh Rajak in the fire is the high concern of the government and it is serious about the injured media persons as well. The government is thinking about what can be done for the relief of the victims," he said.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the government would provide necessary support to the family of journalist Suresh Rajak, who was killed in the Tinkune incident on March 28.

During the meeting held at the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar on Monday, Prime Minister Oli urged the family members to perform last rites of Rajak, adding the government would pay attention to make necessary arrangements for Rajak's widow employment. 

Paying tribute towards journalist Rajak who lost his life in the fire incident that occurred in Tinkune in the course of a demonstration by the royalists, the Prime Minister expressed condolences to the bereaved family members.  

He added that a process to take stern legal action against the guilty ones has already begun by carrying out investigation into the incident.