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The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that the weather is likely to remain mainly fair across the country today.

However, there is a partial influence of the westerly wind as well as the local wind in the hilly region of the country resulting in generally cloudy weather there.

According to the Department, the weather will remain partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and fair in remaining parts of the country.

There are chances of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at a few places of the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces.

Chances of snowfall are also predicted in the mountainous and high-hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces.

Likewise, the weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of the country tonight and some parts of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces could receive light rain. 

The Nepal Calendar Determination Development Committee has said that there is no celebration for Tihar today though it is Aunsi as per the lunar calendar.

Issuing a press statement, the Committee said that Laxmi Puja was performed on Thursday evening while Gai Puja to be performed on Kartik Shukla Pratipada will be done on Saturday.

Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Shree Krishna Adhikari, said that such patterns in the calendar (Tithi) happen at an interval of some years and the festival of Tihar, which is observed for five days, is extended for six days this year due to the same shift in the calendar.

The festival of Tihar which begins on Kartik Krishna Trayodashi was started on Tuesday this year.

This year's Tihar festival is ending (November 3) on Sunday after the Bhaitika on Kartik Shukla Duitiya as per the lunar calendar. ---

China’s Yunnan Province has handed over public welfare projects to Nepal’s Lalitpur Metropolitan City. This includes a solar powered community bathroom named UnicsolarShower Station, which is the first of its kind in the capital city, and a roof photovoltaic project.

Amid a special function organized in Lalitpur on Friday, the Yunnan CommercialRepresentative Office in Nepal handed over the projects to Ward-3 of Municipality.

The Unicsolar Shower Station is equipped with 4,000-liter hot water facility generated by the solar energy and has 3 shower rooms each for males and females. The community bathroom will benefit at least 80-100 persons to take shower per day. 

In addition, the rooftop photovoltaic project has an installed capacity of 36kw which could generate around 60,000kwh annually andprovide green and free energy to the community for a long-term. 

Addressing the ceremony, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City Chiri Babu Maharjanexpressed gratitude to the Chinese side for supporting the heritage city Lalitpur. 

Terming the project as “excellent state-of-art facility,” Mayor said that it would highly benefit the locals. He further shared that the municipality seeks to explore collaboration with the Yunnan Province in more avenues in near future. 

On the occasion, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song remarked that the project, based on the Chinese development model, could of great significance to Nepalis people.

He also shared that the Chinese side has been engaged in various projects related to agriculture, solar energy, school support program among others in remote areas under the Vibrant Village project. 

On behalf of Yunnan Provincial Government, the Yunnan Commercial Representative Office in Nepal was established in 2015. The Office has been working as a business cooperationwindow and communication platform to bridge Yunnan and Nepal.

Yang Chenfeng, Director of Yunnan Provincial Commercial Representative Office in Kathmandu, informed that they have executed 9livelihood projects since 2022 including 2Friendly Parks, 3 Solar Power Projects, 2 Public Shower Projects and 2 School Bags Donation Projects in different districts. 

“These two projects will improve the locals’living conditions, generate employment opportunities and also enhance the quality of the city,” Yang remarked. 

The "Yunnan Hand in Hand Project" aims to improve the living standards and the well-being of the local people in Nepal. It is funded by Yunnan People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, supported by Yunnan Provincial Energy Investment Group, and implemented by Yunnan Provincial Commercial Representative Office in Kathmandu. 

Following the handover, Shree Gopal Maharjan, Ward-3 Chairman, shared that the project reflects Chinese development and could be a great learning for Nepal to implement similar practices in other places.

“There is water crisis in many places acrossKathmandu valley, thus the shower station welcomes public not just from this ward but from the overall capital,” Maharjan remarked.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development, Prakash Man Singh, has said the incumbent government was formed to promote political stability in the country.

In his address to a festival reception organised by the Nepali Congress (NC) Chitwan today, he said the government yearns for addressing the public concern by securing political stability and encouraging rule of law. "Our efforts are for consolidating the rule of law," he reiterated.

On a different note, the Nepali Congress leader stressed the need of according priority to the interests of party over individual interests. 

Rastriya Swatantra Party President and former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has been arrested on Friday.

Lamichhane was apprehended after the Kaski District Court issued an arrest warrant against him this afternoon.

After the arrest, the police are preparing to take Lamichhane to Pokhara today itself.

Prior to the arrest, Lamichhane organized a press conference and said that he had been framed by the state.

The Parliamentary Special Committee on Cooperatives had recommended action against four persons including the then Managing Director of Gorkha Media Lamichhane.

Lamichhane was arrested on the basis of the same.

The Committee had recommended action against Gorkha Media Network Chairman GB Rai, the then Managing Director Lamichhane, member Kumar Ramtel and director Chhabiraj Joshi for misappropriating the funds of the cooperative.

Among them, police have arrested Joshi and is carrying out investigation while Ramtel is also in police custody.

The Committee concluded that the money of the depositors in the cooperative was transferred illegally to the account of Gorkha Media Network Pvt Ltd and Lamichhane was also found involved in it.

The Committee made a conclusion that the funds of nine cooperatives across the country were embezzled in the Gorkha Media Network.

According to the report, the money of Suryadarshan of Pokhara, Supreme of Butwal, Swarnalakshmi of Kathmandu, Sahara of Chitwan, Sanopaila of Birganj was embezzled in the Gorkha Media Network.

Similarly, it has been mentioned in the report that funds of Image, Samana, Sumeru and IME were also misappropriated in the Gorkha Media Network.

The Committee has recommended to the government that the director of the cooperatives and everyone involved in the decision-making process should be sent to the concerned authorities for action.

The Committee has also directed the government to immediately arrest Gitendra Babu, GB Rai, Than Bahadur Budha Magar, Dinesh Rokka, Sagar KC, Pichkan Khatun, Bhupendra Rai, who are on the run.

The Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has so far paid back Rs 6. 32 billion of the loan it had taken for purchasing aircraft for international flights.

The national flag-carrier had taken loan from the Employees Provident Fund and Citizens Investment Trust for the two narrow-body and two wide-body aircraft that it purchased, NAC said in a press release.

NAC spokesperson Ramesh Poudel said the airlines on October 16 paid Rs 530. 95 million that included the full installment for the two narrow-body aircraft for the month of Asoj and the part installment for two wide-body.

The NAC has urged the Fund and the Trust to grant concession on the interest and penalty during the COVID-19 period and to facilitate in the loan payment by increasing the number of installments, as there was adverse impact on the airline's business during that period.

A Bangladeshi court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was removed from power in August after a nationwide student protest in Bangladesh, news agency AFP reported.

"The court has ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and for her to appear in court on November 18," stated Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal. During

The former PM fled to India and has not been publicly seen since fleeing Bangladesh. Her last official whereabouts were at a military airbase near India's capital New Delhi.

According to the news agency, an arrest warrant was issued against Hasina for charges of crimes against humanity. During Hasina's 15-year rule, there were reports of widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

"Sheikh Hasina was at the helm of those who committed massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity from July to August", Islam added.

Prosecutor B.M. Sultan Mahmud said the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the country's interim leader, issued the arrest warrants in response to two petitions submitted by the prosecution.

The court also issued an arrest warrant for Obaidul Quader, the fugitive former general secretary of Hasina's Awami League party, as well as 44 others, who were not named.

Dozens of Hasina's allies were taken into custody after her regime collapsed, accused of culpability in a police crackdown that killed more than 700 people during the unrest that deposed her.

Former cabinet ministers and other senior members of her Awami League party have been arrested, and her government's appointees were purged from courts and the central bank. AFP

Top leaders of the three major political parties, including Prime Minister and Chairman of CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli, discussed ways to forward the remaining tasks of the peace process immediately.

The meeting held today at the Prime Minister's residence, Baluwatar, held discussions on the completion of the peace process.

According to Deputy General Secretary of CPN (Maoist Center) Shakti Bahadur Basnet, the leaders agreed to appoint officials to the TJ commissions who understand the spirit of peace process and legal provision as well. "A discussion was held on finalizing the recommendation committee within few days.

After the recommendation committee is formed, the officials will appointed to the commission", Basnet shared following the meeting.

A recommendation committee has been formed by the previous government to constitute the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappeared Persons.

On August 29, the bill amending the laws related to both commissions was certificated by the President.

Along with Prime Minister Oli, President of Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chair of CPN (Maoist Center) and former Prime Minister of Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Deputy General Secretary of CPN (Maoist Centre) Basnet and Attorney General Ramesh Badal were present in the meeting.