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The Election Commission (EC) has appointed the offices of the Chief Returning Officers and Returning Officers for each district for the upcoming federal parliament and provincial assembly polls scheduled for November 20. According to a statement released by EC’s Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel on Tuesday, Chief Returning Officer will have their offices in the district headquarters while returning officers will have their offices in convenient places around the concerned area s/he is deployed. The statement further stated that a list of the places appropriate to set up offices for the Chief Returning Officer and Returning Officers have been prepared. The list has been sent to the subordinate offices in all districts, the EC said.

The International Day of Peace which is celebrated across the globe on September 21 every year is being observed in Nepal with diverse programs. The UN General Assembly had announced September 21 as the international day of peace in 2002. This date was established by a resolution as a day of ceasefire and non-violence. Nepal has also marked the day since 2002 by organizing several activities. On the occasion today, various organizations, including Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) and The Story Kitchen (TSK) are hosting programs to assert global peace. It has been demanded that peace should begin from each individual for the global peace and that all countries should enable environment to that end.

As many as 11 people have died due to dengue infection in Bagmati Pradesh. According to the statistics of the Health Directorate of Bagmati Province, 11 people have died due to dengue in the province. Maheshwar Shrestha, Head of the Health Directorate of Bagmati Province, informed that four people died of dengue in Kathmandu, two in Lalitpur, two in Sindhupalchowk, one in Makwanpur, one in Sindhuli, and one in Dhading. Similarly, 13,375 dengue patients have been found in the province so far. The highest number of dengue patients — 4,878 cases — has been reported in Lalitpur district. Similarly, 4,674 dengue patients have been reported in Kathmandu, 1,100 in Makwanpur, 713 in Bhaktapur, 429 in Chitwan, and 399 in Dhading, according to the Directorate of Health.

Eighty percent air tickets have been booked for the Dashain, according to the domestic air service providers. Ticket booking for the festival opened a few days back. According to the Shree Airlines and Guna Airlines, 80 percent of their tickets have been booked for the festival, while the Buddha Air has got its 40 percent tickets booked. Similarly, Yeti Airlines has got its 70 percent ticket booked. Similarly, 70 percent return tickets have been booked. Ghatasthapana, the day when Dashain festival formally begins, is a week away. Now, the charge for domestic flights has increased. The maximum one-way flight fare between Kathmandu and Dhangadhi has been fixed at Rs 17,000 per person against Rs 7,500 in the past. The lowest minimum fare for the Biratnagar-Kathmandu route is 4,500 and maximum Rs 10,000. Air fare soared just after opening ticket booking, said Guna Airlines Spokesperson Prajwal Thapa.

Nepali film 'Aina Jhyalko Putali' has been selected to represent Nepal in 95th Academy Awards (The Oscars), announced by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. A meeting held on Monday under the chairmanship of International Feature Film Selection Committee, Bimal Poudel, selected 'Aina Jhyalko Putali' directed by Sujit Bidari for the same. A member of the selection committee, Samipya Raj Timalsena, said, "We received three films for the selection.  But we selected 'Aina Jhyalko Putali' analyzing its technical aspects, narrative style and presentation, emotional analysis of characters and art of presentation. This film has carried artistic presentation that we have been searching." 'Aina Jhyalko Putali' is the story of brother's wishes, sister's dream and mother's struggle. Kanchan Chimriya, Dinesh Khatri, Siru Bista, Umesh Shrestha, Kshitiz Limbu, Bisha Rai, Mallika Shrestha, Raj Thapa, among other artists are characters of the movie. The Selection Committee had called those film artists, willing to participate in Oscars competition, to submit their films within September 15. Application of three Nepali films --'Prakash' directed by Dinesh Raut, 'Radha' directed by Subarna Thapa and 'Aina Jhyalko Putali' directed by Sujit Bidari were filed in order to participate in Academy Awards.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged the Indonesian Ambassador to Nepal to facilitate in order to bring in investment from Indonesia in hydropower, tourism and other potential sectors of Nepal. Prime Minister Deuba made this urge during the meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador to Nepal, Heru Hartanto Subolo. The Indonesian Ambassador had reached the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar to pay a courtesy call on PM Deuba today. 'The Prime Minister asked the Ambassador Subolo to facilitate in order to bring in Indonesian investment in tourism, hydropower and other potential sectors of Nepal and promote mountain tourism of Nepal among tourists of Indonesia", said Honorary Consul of Indonesia in Nepal and senior vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chandra Prasad Dhakal quoting the Prime Minister. On the occasion, Prime Minister Deuba urged the Indonesian government for the establishment of a residential embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Nepal. The Prime Minister through Ambassador Subolo also requested the people of Indonesia to visit Nepal, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Similarly, Ambassador Subolo said he was positive for the establishment of a residential embassy in Nepal and will convey this message of the prime Minister to the Indonesian government. An agreement would be signed between the two countries soon for visa facilitation for diplomatic and government passport holders, he added. The Indonesian Ambassador shared that he would play a role for bilateral trade and investment between Nepal and Indonesia in course of promotion of 'Trade Expo'. The trade expo is to be organized in Indonesia in October.

Happiness of the US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry knew no bounds when heritage expert Rabindra Puri presented a stone-statue of god Laxmi Narayan to him as a gift amid a function organized here today to bid a farewell to him, who is returning home a week later after completing his tenure as the Ambassador. The gift was covered in red clothing. Ambassador Berry was visibly cheerful when he entered the building of the Nepal Vocational Academy at Kamalbinayak, Bhaktapur. The four-storey building, which was built from age-old bricks, itself looks like a museum with historic statues of various gods and goddesses inside. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a statue of Lord Buddha in a cross-legged position. Besides it, there lies a standing giant statue of a sage. There are images and statues of various gods and goddesses put up on the walls. The Ambassador seemed happy and excited by seeing the statues of various gods and goddesses and other natural and beautiful scenes of the surroundings. He also managed time to take a picture of himself besides the gifted statue. The Ambassador was very special at the event also by his linkage with ancient statues of gods and goddesses of Nepal. A statue of god Laxmi Narayan that had gone missing from the Narayan Temple at Patko tole in Patan was recovered from Dallas Museum in the US. The repatriation of the recovered statue to Nepal a year ago was done at the 'special' initiatives of Berry. Thereafter, the statue was placed back in the temple in his presence. So far, 17 idols of various gods and goddesses that were stolen from Nepal were recovered from various cities and museums of the US, and repatriated back to Nepal between March, 2021 and August, 2022 at the initiatives of Berry. The farewell event was organized by the Rabindra Puri Foundation for Conservation, an organization working for the protection and conservation of stolen statues of various gods and goddesses. Various dignitaries, foreign guests, culture experts and archeologists attended the programme. "Setting up a 'museum of stolen arts' in Panauti is underway. A replica of the stolen statue of Laxmi Narayan will also be put up in the museum," said Puri, also President of the Foundation. He has also launched the campaign to repatriate stolen idols back home. "We are very happy to be gifting a replica of the stolen statue of Laxmi Narayan to Berry." On the occasion, Ambassador Berry said he would always put Nepal in his heart wherever he goes. "The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation set up in the US Embassy in Kathmandu has worked for the protection and conservation of Nepali heritages. I always want to see the protection and preservation of Nepali arts, culture and heritages," he said.

Dengue has claimed a life in Ratnanagar of Chitwan. The identity of the deceased, who appeared to be in his mid-20’s, is yet to be established. He died while undergoing treatment at Old Medical College in Bharatpur. Hospital's physician Dr Alok Pradhan said that the man, who was diagnosed with dengue, died in the course of the treatment. He had been residing in Kathmandu for higher study. He was admitted to the hospital after a high fever. Dengue infection has been so far confirmed among 429 people from 2,877 sample tests in the district.