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Results of Free Student Union (FSU) elections of the Tribhuvan University (TU) have been made public.

ANNFSU candidates emerged winners in Nepal Commerce Campus and Mahendra Ratna Campus Tahchal of Kathmandu. Bishal Rokaha and Ishwor Thapa have been elected the Presidents of Commerce Campus and Mahendra Ratna, respectively, according to ANNFSU vice-president Narayan Gharti.

Likewise, Nepal Student Union (NSU) candidates have secured their win in Thapathali Engineering and Maharajgunj Nursing Campus.

Prahlad Khadka and Bindu Pokharel have been elected Presidents in Thapathali and Maharajgunj respectively, according to NSU spokesperson Suraj Sejuwal.

Similarly, ANNISU (Revolutionary) has won the Public Administration Campus and Sanothimi Multipurpose Campus, Bhaktapur.

Aniket Tiwari and Narendra Thagunna have been elected Presidents in Public Administration and Sanothimi respectively, ANNISU (R)'s general secretary Roshan Magar informed.

Independent candidate Soyam Shrestha has been elected President in Pulchowk Engineering Campus.

Elections were held in 38 constituent and 250 affiliated campuses across the country on Tuesday.

President Vladimir Putin has rejected an immediate and full ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, following a call with US President Donald Trump, BBC reported.

The Russian leader declined to sign up to the comprehensive month-long ceasefire that Trump's team recently worked out with Ukrainians in Saudi Arabia.

He said a comprehensive truce could only work if foreign military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine came to an end. Ukraine's European allies have previously rejected such conditions. 

US talks on Ukraine are due to continue on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said.

In the grinding three-year war, Russia has recently been taking back territory in its Kursk region that was occupied by a Ukrainian incursion six months ago. 

The results of Tuesday's Trump-Putin call amount to a retreat in the US position from where it stood a week ago, although the two leaders did agree that further peace talks would take place immediately in the Middle East.

When a US delegation met Ukrainian counterparts in Jeddah last Tuesday, they convinced Kyiv to agree to their proposal for an "immediate" 30-day ceasefire, across land, air and sea.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Helsinki, Finland, for an official visit on Tuesday shortly after Trump and Putin's call ended, said Ukraine was open to the idea of a truce covering energy infrastructure, but wanted more details first.

He later accused Putin of rejecting a ceasefire following a barrage of Russian drone attacks. 

Among the places targeted was a hospital in Sumy, and power supplies in Slovyansk, said Ukraine's leader.

"Unfortunately, there have been hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure," Zelensky said on X. "Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire."

Trump posted earlier on social media that his call with the Russian leader was "very good and productive" and that "many elements of a Contract for Peace were discussed".

"We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine," the US president said on Truth Social, according to BBC.

About 80% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian bombs, Zelensky said last September.

Kyiv has in turn conducted drone and missile strikes deep into Russian territory, on oil and gas facilities.

Following last week's talks in Jeddah, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said "the ball" was in Russia's court, after the Ukrainians accepted Washington's proposal for a full ceasefire.

But the White House's statement following the Trump-Putin call on Tuesday made no reference to that agreement with Kyiv.

It instead said the two leaders agreed that "the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire", followed by negotiations over a "maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace".

But the Kremlin's own statement on the call noted what it said were a "series of significant issues" around enforcing any agreement with Kyiv. And it said the end of foreign support and intelligence for Ukraine was a "key condition" for Russia.

Trump and Putin agreed to immediate technical-level talks towards a longer-term settlement, which the Kremlin said must be "complex, stable and long-term in nature".

But it's unclear if this means further negotiations between the US and Russia, or bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The Kremlin also said Trump supported Putin's idea of holding ice hockey matches between professional US and Russian players.

Russia was frozen out of ice hockey events overseas after the country invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Kyiv will probably see the outcome of Tuesday's much-anticipated phone call as Putin playing for time, while he adds crippling conditions on any settlement.

Putin has previously insisted Russia should keep control of Ukrainian territory it has seized and has called for Western sanctions to be eased as part of any eventual peace settlement.

The Russian leader has already tasted Trump's readiness to cut off US support to Ukraine, and is trying to get him to repeat it - while tossing the ball back to Kyiv.

Earlier this month the US temporarily suspended military and intelligence aid to Ukraine after Trump and Zelensky had an altercation in the Oval Office, BBC reported.

Trump and his Vice-President JD Vance dressed down Zelensky in front of the world's media, accusing him of being ungrateful for American support.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday in Berlin with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the limited ceasefire plan was an important first step, but he again called for a complete ceasefire.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Zelensky after the Trump-Putin call and "reiterated [the] UK's unwavering support", a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

Just two weeks ago, a palpable tension existed between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal. However, they have now begun to align in defense of the 2015 constitution, citing an increasing threat from pro-monarchy forces. Despite this newfound unity, critics argue that the poor governance and misrule under Dahal’s leadership have inadvertently strengthened the monarchy's resurgence. In response, both ruling and opposition parties are joining forces to counter the growing influence of pro-monarchy factions. Prime Minister Oli and Dahal have adopted a more conciliatory approach toward each other in light of these developments.

As pro-monarchy forces work to establish a unified front to mobilize supporters, mainstream political parties are preparing to rally their own cadres to safeguard the current federal republican system. Leaders from major political parties, with the exception of the Nepali Congress (NC), have publicly accused former King Gyanendra Shah of attempting a comeback with external backing, though they have not provided detailed evidence to support these claims.

During a recent CPN-UML internal meeting, senior leaders expressed concerns that Shah is engaging in destabilizing activities under the influence of certain powers. They emphasized the need for republican forces to unite despite their differences. Some leaders have even proposed the idea of a national unity government—a vaguely defined concept that has remained unrealized since 2008—to counter potential protests by royalist forces. While leaders from the NC and Maoist Center have discussed this possibility, it is unlikely to materialize soon. Maoist Chairman Dahal has publicly denied any ongoing discussions about his party joining the government, stating that while they are prepared to offer solutions in the event of a crisis, no such talks are currently taking place.

Both pro-monarchy forces and mainstream political parties are gearing up for potential street protests, signaling that Kathmandu may soon witness significant demonstrations. The government is expected to face challenges in managing the situation. The Samajbadi Morcha (Socialist Front), a coalition of communist parties including the Maoist Center, CPN (Unified Socialist) and two smaller factions, is planning a mass demonstration on March 19. Similarly, the ruling UML is preparing to mobilize millions of its cadres to defend the republican system.

Pro-monarchy groups have been staging protests for some time, but recent efforts suggest a push for greater unity. Navaraj Subedi, a leader from the Panchayat era, has launched a campaign titled the “People’s Movement Committee for the Restoration of Monarchy.” Former King Shah has reportedly chosen Subedi as a unifying figure to bridge divides among pro-monarchist factions. However, it remains uncertain whether parties like the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal will fully unite under this banner. RPP Chair Rajendra Lingden has asserted that his party should lead the movement, given its longstanding advocacy for the monarchy. Subedi has issued a public appeal for support, outlining three key demands: the restoration of the monarchy, the reinstatement of Nepal as a Hindu state and the abolition of federal structures.

Despite these efforts, Shah faces challenges in uniting all pro-monarchy supporters under a single command. For instance, while RPP Chair Lingden has expressed support for pro-monarchy campaigns, he has distanced his party from the Subedi-led committee. Nevertheless, senior RPP members Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shumsher Rana have joined the mobilization committee.

Leaders close to the former king describe this as a critical moment and possibly his final attempt to gauge public support for a return to the throne. Unlike previous fragmented efforts, this marks the first time Shah has taken a proactive role in forming a unified structure under Subedi's leadership. According to sources close to the former king, he believes this is an opportune time to rally public backing, as future opportunities may be limited. However, the success of this endeavor remains uncertain, given the internal divisions among pro-monarchy factions and the broader political landscape.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba held a bilateral meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in New Delhi today on the sidelines of the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2025 organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed ways for further strengthening Nepal-Ukraine relations and promoting cooperation, according to Minister Rana's Private Secretariat.

Minister Rana urged Ukraine to facilitate the release and repatriation of seven Nepali citizens held as Prisoners of War by Ukrainian soldiers.

According to her, although Nepal has no policy to allow its citizens to join the Russian army, it was later learned that Nepalis were recruited in the Russian army through human traffickers.

In response, Sybiha expressed his commitment to release the Nepali prisoners of war after completing the necessary legal process.

Similarly, Foreign Minister Rana sought the Ukrainian government's support in Nepal's candidacy for membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2027 to 2029.

Meanwhile, both nations signed an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports.