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Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa has raised questions over the State Partnership Program (SPP).

Saying that Nepal cannot take part in any program involving Nepal Army, Thapa, during the meeting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, said that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba should answer on the issue.

He said that the doubts on the issue will be cleared if the Prime Minister answers the queries in the Parliament.

The main opposition CPN-UML lawmaker Pradeep Gyawali had also demanded the government's answer on the matter in the Parliament meeting today. He said that the agreement will not be accepted under any circumstances.

The UML has been protesting after the draft of the SPP agreement was made public in a section of Nepali media.

A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court demanding re-election to the top post of the District Coordination Committee of Dailekh.

Durga Kumari Shrestha, who had filed her candidacy for the top post of the District Coordination Committee, filed writ petition on Tuesday.

In the writ filed against the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Dailekh among others, she has demanded an order to hold the re-election to the top post of the District Coordination Committee as per the law. 

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Dailekh, Chief Election Officer Dandapani Lamichhane, District Coordination Committee, Dailekh, Independent candidate Nawaraj Shahi, who was elected to the top post of the District Coordination Committee, proposer of independent candidate Sundar Kumar KC, supporter Bina Karki, Province Election Office, Karnali Province and Election Commission have been made defendants. 

In the writ, the petitioner said that Nawaraj Shahi, who was elected as a member of Aathbis Municipality-7, Dailekh, could not file independent candidacy for the top post of District Coordination Committee. 

He was elected to the top post of the District Coordination Committee, Dailekh on June 11.

People in Pakistan have been asked to reduce the amount of tea they drink to keep the country's economy afloat, BBC reported.

Sipping fewer cups a day would cut Pakistan's high import bills, senior minister Ahsan Iqbal said.

The country's low foreign currency reserves - currently enough for fewer than two months of all imports - have left it in urgent need of funds.

Pakistan is the world's largest importer of tea, buying in more than $600m (£501m) worth last year.

"I appeal to the nation to cut down the consumption of tea by one to two cups because we import tea on loan," Mr Iqbal said, according to Pakistani media.

Business traders could also close their market stalls at 20:30 to save electricity, he suggested.

The plea came as Pakistan's foreign currency reserves continue to fall rapidly - putting pressure on the government to cut high import costs and keep funds in the country, according to BBC.

The request to reduce tea drinking has gone viral on social media, with many doubting the country's serious financial problems can be addressed by cutting out the caffeinated beverage.

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves dropped from around $16bn (£13.4bn) in February to less than $10bn (£8.3bn) in the first week of June, barely enough to cover the cost of two months of all its imports. 

Last month officials in Karachi restricted the import of dozens of non-essential luxury items as part of their bid to protect funds.

The economic crisis is a major test for the government of Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Imran Khan as Pakistan's prime minister in a parliamentary vote in April. 

Shortly after being sworn in, Mr Sharif accused Imran Khan's outgoing government of mismanaging the economy and said putting it back on track would be a huge challenge.

Last week his cabinet unveiled a fresh $47bn (£39bn) budget aimed at convincing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restart a stalled $6bn (£5bn) bailout programme, BBC reported.

The IMF deal was negotiated in 2019 to ease an economic crisis created by low foreign currency reserve supplies and years of stagnating growth - but was later paused after lenders questioned Pakistan's finances.

The EU is expected to launch legal action against the UK government on Wednesday over its decision to scrap some post-Brexit trade arrangements, BBC reported.

Ministers insist current checks on some goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland must end to avoid harm to the peace process.

They published a parliamentary bill on Monday aimed at overriding parts of the deal signed with the EU in 2020.

But Brussels says going back on the arrangement breaks international law.

The Northern Ireland Protocol is the part of the Brexit deal which keeps Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.

This prevents a hard border with the Republic of Ireland - including checks there on the movement of people and goods - which both the UK and EU want to avoid in order to ensure peace is maintained.

But instead it means checks on some goods arriving into Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK.

That is opposed by unionists in Northern Ireland who argue it creates a trade border in the Irish Sea and could lead to the break-up of the UK, according to BBC.

Following elections in Northern Ireland last month, the Democratic Unionist Party is refusing to serve in a power-sharing executive with Sinn Fein until the protocol is changed.

But other parties in Northern Ireland - including Sinn Fein, the Alliance Party and the SDLP - accept the deal as it stands, BBC reported.