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Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has briefed the party about his recent visit to the United States of America to attend the 78th Session of United Nations General Assembly and the subsequent official visit to China.

In a meeting of the party office-bearers today, Dahal said Nepal's participation in the UNGA had helped promote Nepal's identity globally.  "From Nepal's participation in the UN mega event, the world community could know about Nepal better."

Talking about his visit to the northern neighbor, the Prime Minister said bilateral agreements and understandings reached during the visit were of long-term importance for Nepal's development, according to party Vice-Chairman and spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota.

"The meeting with the UN general secretary and other meetings held on the sidelines of the event were important," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying in the party meeting.

The Prime Minister was learnt to have described the agreement for cooperation between the National Planning Commission and China's National Development and Reform Commission, on the development of cross-border transmission lines and on agriculture and science technology as important ones.

 The meeting instructed the party leaders and cadres to contribute to making the ' transformation campaign' launched by the party since September 2 successful.

Prime Minister Dahal Dahal had on September 16 departed for the United Nations headquarters in New York and had directly embarked on the China visit from there, beginning on September 23.  He returned home on September 30.

Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Alice P. Albright paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the duo discussed various aspects of the Nepal-US cooperation including the MCC projects, the PM’s Secretariat said.

On Monday, the MCC CEO held a separate meeting with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Energy Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation Prakash Jwala.

The leaders discussed the ways for the successful implementation of the MCC projects.

Currently, MCC CEO Albright is in Nepal to celebrate the MCC's entry into force.

Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Alice P. Albright, who arrived in Kathmandu along with her team on Sunday evening, is scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal today.

The Albright-led American delegation arrived in Kathmandu, a month after the formal beginning of the MCC Compact implementation.

The MCC compact implementation formally began on August 30.

The Albright-led delegation landed in Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu via Qatar on Sunday.

During her stay in Nepal, Albright is scheduled to inquire about the progress and problems in MCC and also observe some areas of the MCC project.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Mohamed Muizzu, won the Maldivian presidential elections on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported citing local media.

This was the second round of polling after no candidate emerged clear winner in the first round. Muizzu had emerged as the frontrunner in the first round with around 46 per cent votes, followed by Ibrahim Solih’s 39 per cent.

Al Jazeera reported citing several local media platforms that Muizzu has won with more than 53 per cent of the vote, after the tallying of results of all 586 ballot boxes.

After the thumping win, the Maldives president-elect delivered a brief statement at his party’s headquarters, thanking all those who voted for him and calling on the government to release former President Abdulla Yameen, who is serving an 11-year jail sentence on a corruption conviction.

“Today is a very happy day…I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the Maldivian people. This outcome today is a huge encouragement for us in our pursuit to build a better future for our country, and to ensure the sovereignty of our nation,” Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.

“Yameen, the leader of the PPM, must be released”, Muizzu said. “The president has the power to transfer [Yameen] home imprisonment. And doing so, I believe, is the best action that can be taken in our nation’s interests,” he added.

Notably, Muizzu and his is considered ‘pro-China’ because of the huge Chinese loans by the country, under the previous PPM government.

After the results, Maldives President Ibrahim Solih conceded defeat in Saturday’s run-off vote and congratulated Muizzu

“Congratulations to the winner of the presidential election @MMuizzu. Thank you for the beautiful democratic example shown by the people in the elections. Thank you to the MDP and AP members who worked together and to all the people who voted for me,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Maldives Foreign Minister and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Abdulla Shahid also congratulated Muizzu and also thanked President Ibrahim Solih for his tenure.

“Congratulations to President-elect Dr @MMuizzu for winning the Presidential Election 2023. Many congratulations and much gratitude to President @ibusolih, for the many seeds of hope he had sown over the last 5 years, which will surely reap much prosperity for our country and people,” he posted on X.

Parliament Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed also congratulated Muizzu on his apparent second round victory.

“Congratulations, President-elect Dr. @MMuizzu”, he posted on X.

Muizzu is currently serving as the mayor of the capital, Male. He holds a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He was the Minister of Housing in former President Abdulla Yameen’s cabinet, according to Al Jazeera.

Notably, Solih’s defeat to Muizzu marks the first time Maldivians have voted out a liberal democratic government in favour of an authoritarian challenger since the country held its first multi-party elections in 2008, Al Jazeera reported.

The outcome also marks a stark reversal of fortune for Solih, who won the last election in 2018 by a landslide, amid widespread anger over human rights abuses and corruption under his predecessor. ANI