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Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal today said the government would cancel the licence of those electricity developers who had reached power purchase agreement and failed to execute construction work.

The government is ready to take necessary steps to encourage actual promoters of hydropower, said the minister while addressing a workshop with the theme of Cross Border Energy Trade with Focus on Open Access and Transmission Pricing' organised here by the Society of Economic Journalists Nepal.

"Our first priority is to increase and consume energy produced within the country, make electricity consumption per person production comparable with the regional and international level and increase economic production," she said.

According to the minister, there is no alternative to exporting surplus electricity to the international market. Homework has been done to resume a PPA with the run-of-river hydropower projects.

Nepal has been exporting around 365 megawatts electricity from six projects to India and bringing in foreign currencies from the sales, she informed.

Similarly, efforts were under way at political and diplomatic levels to reach agreement for additional electricity sale.

Vice-chairperson of National Planning Commission Bishwanath Paudel stressed the need to slash cost on the production, transmission and distribution of electricity to increase its domestic consumption and exports. For this, participation of private sector should be encouraged, he said.

Secretary at the ministry Sushil Chandra Tiwari and secretary at the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat Dinesh Ghimire underscored the need to produce and expand electricity lines as much as possible to support the country's economy.

Similarly, Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Kulman Ghising emphasised increasing the use of electric vehicles and domestic consumption of power.

An arrest warrant has been issued against Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Netra Bikram Chand among other leaders of the party.

The Lalitpur District Court on Monday issued the warrant against Chand and Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma among other leaders on the charge of possessing arms, crimes against the state and detonating Improvised Explosive Devices.

The court issued arrest warrant against Bhaktapur district in charge Tek Bahadur KC, Standing Committee member Santosh Budha Magar, central member Udaya Bahadur Chalaune, School Department members Bharat Bahadur Bam, Mohan Bahadur Karki and Padam Bahadur Rai among other leaders.

They have been ordered to appear before the court within 35 days.

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is beginning a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, her office says - with no mention of a possible visit to Taiwan, BBC reported.

There has been intense speculation that she may visit the self-ruled island.

Taiwan is claimed by China - which has warned of "serious consequences" if she goes there. 

No high-ranking US elected official has visited Taiwan in 25 years.

Ms Pelosi, a California Democrat, tweeted that the six-person Congressional delegation tour would seek to "reaffirm America's unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region".

Her office said the tour was to the "Indo-Pacific region" - "including" visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this in the future.

Chinese officials have expressed anger over what they view as growing diplomatic engagement between Taipei and Washington. There was a surprise visit to the island by six US lawmakers in April.

The US has formal diplomatic ties with China, and not Taiwan.

Ms Pelosi has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese leadership, denouncing its human rights record. She has met pro-democracy dissidents and visited Tiananmen Square to commemorate victims of the 1989 massacre.

Her original plan was to visit Taiwan in April, but she postponed the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19, according to BBC.

Earlier this month she said it was "important for us to show support for Taiwan".

President Joe Biden has said the US military believes a Pelosi visit to Taiwan is "not a good idea right now".

The statement from her office on Sunday said the tour would "focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region".

Their talks will also cover trade, the climate crisis and human rights.

The delegates accompanying Ms Pelosi are leading members of the House of Representatives: Gregory Meeks, Mark Takano, Suzan DelBene, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Andy Kim.

The last House Speaker to visit Taiwan was Republican Newt Gingrich, in 1997, BBC reported.

One of Ukraine's richest businessmen has been killed with his wife in "massive" Russian shelling of the southern city of Mykolaiv, BBC reported.

Oleksiy Vadatursky, 74, and his wife Raisa died when a missile hit their home overnight, local officials said. 

Mr Vadatursky owned Nibulon, a company involved in grain exports. He had also received the "Hero of Ukraine" award.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky described Mr Vadatursky's death as a great loss.

Mykolaiv mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said it was probably the heaviest Russian bombardment of the city so far.

There was damage to a hotel, a sports complex, two schools and a service station, as well as homes. 

Mykolaiv is on the main route to Odesa, Ukraine's biggest port on the Black Sea, and has been hit repeatedly since Russia launched its invasion on 24 February.

The region's leader Vitaliy Kim said Mr Vadatursky's "contribution to the development of the agricultural and shipbuilding industry, the development of the region is invaluable".

Meanwhile, an adviser to President Zelensky's office, said he believed Russia had deliberately targeted the businessman, according to BBC.

Mykhailo Podolyak said one of the missiles hit the businessman's bedroom, adding that this "leaves no doubt" it was being guided.

Nibulon has built many storage facilities and other infrastructure for exporting grain. 

Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of wheat and other grains, and the disruption of exports caused by the war has sent food prices soaring worldwide.

The two countries signed a UN-brokered agreement in Turkey last week, aimed at easing the food crisis. The deal was almost derailed by a Russian attack on the Odesa port the following day. 

The resumption of Ukrainian exports has been further delayed by security checks. But on Sunday Turkey said the first ship carrying grain was expected to leave Odesa on Monday morning.

Ukraine accuses Russian forces of stealing grain from farms on occupied land and exporting it via Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Russia denies Ukrainian claims, BBC reported.