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The Tibetan community of Nepal celebrated their new year, Lhosar, in the presence of members of the diplomatic community. The Tibetan community celebrated their new year 2150 (Rabbit Year) in Jawalakhel ground on Thursday. The new year of Tibetans started on Tuesday. On the occasion, they worshiped the portrait of their religious leader Dalai Lama. US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R Thompson, Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk and Swiss Ambassador to Nepal Elisabeth von Capeller among representatives of various diplomatic missions were present in the program.  

Nagarik Unmukti Party lawmaker Arun Chaudhary’s suspension has been lifted. Speaker Devraj Ghimire had read out a letter of amnesty sent by the President’s office during the Parliament meeting today. With this, Chaudhary’s suspension was lifted. Chaudhary was apprehended from Kohalpur of Banke on February 2. Following his arrest, he was suspended as a lawmaker. He was produced before the court on February 3. Around 12 years ago, the Kailali District Court had sentenced Chaudhary to six months in jail for torching a tractor. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Kailali-2 by securing 21, 871 votes. Police had said that Chaudhary was nabbed as he has yet to serve the jail term associated with a 12-year-old arson case.

The meeting between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli ended inconclusively on Wednesday. During the meeting held in Baluwatar, Dahal and Oli discussed the presidential candidate. The meeting ended without making a concrete decision after both of them refused to budge from their stance. Oli has been saying that the UML candidate should be appointed as the next President as per the previous agreement. Ruling coalition parties—Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Swatantra Party—have also been saying that the UML’s candidate should be made the President as per the past agreement. PM Dahal, however, has been seeking a candidate of national consensus for the post of President. The politics took a new turn after the Nepali Congress gave a vote of confidence to Prime Minister Dahal. After he got the vote of confidence, PM Dahal has inclined to the Nepali Congress of late.

The Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) has urged the Nepali Congress to support its Chairman Mahantha Thakur as the country's new President. A team including Chairman Thakur met Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday and urged him to make Thakur the President on the basis of national consensus. Earlier on Tuesday, the DSP had decided to lobby all the political parties to make Thakur the President. The team of Thakur held separate meetings with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday afternoon. As the time to file candidacy for the presidential election is approaching nearer, senior leaders of the major political parties have intensified meetings and behind-the-curtain negotiations. The DSP had participated in the alliance of the Nepali Congress in the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly. Rajendra Mahato, Anil Jha, Sarbendra Shukla and Sharad Singh Bhandari were present in the meeting.