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Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is all set to visit India in the first week of April. 

The Prime Minister is visiting India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi from April 1 to 3.

The Foreign Ministry is making preparations for the Prime Minister’s visit to India. 

According to a source, an official decision on the PM’s visit to India is likely to be taken by today evening. 

During the visit, PM Deuba and his Indian counterpart Modi will jointly inaugurate the Nepal-India railway services.

Prior to PM Deuba’s visit to India, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Nepal for a three-day visit. 

Minister Wang is arriving in Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Narayan Khadka.

China’s foreign minister made a surprise stop in Kabul on Thursday to meet Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, even as the international community fumes over the hard-line movement’s broken promise a day earlier to open schools to girls beyond the sixth grade, Associated Press reported.

The official Bakhtar News Agency announced Wang Yi will meet with Taliban leaders “to discuss various issues including the extension of political relations, economic, and transit cooperation.” 

The Taliban, who swept to power last August with the chaotic end to 20 years of war by a US and NATO coalition, have been seeking international recognition in order to open up their economy, which has been in free fall since their arrival.

China has not shown any inclination to recognize the Taliban government but it has avoided criticizing the new rulers, despite their repressive rules directed particularly at women, denying them unhindered access to work and school.

China has, however, kept its Embassy in Kabul open and offered limited emergency assistance, according to the Associated Press.

The US-led coalition unseated the Taliban in 2001 after they refused to hand over al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America. They returned to power and installed an all male Taliban-only interim government. The international community has been urging them to open up the government to ethnic minorities, non -Taliban and women.

Wang is one of the highest level visitors to Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return. China, while refusing to offer recognition, has been engaging with the Taliban since their takeover. China has economic and mining interests in Afghanistan and Afghans familiar with past talks between the Taliban and Chinese officials say Beijing wants Taliban commitments to prevent China’s Uighur opponents from setting up operations in Afghanistan.

Last July, however, Wang hosted a delegation from the group led by top Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in the Chinese city of Tianjin, shortly before the group seized power from Afghanistan’s elected government. 

At that meeting, Wang sought assurances the Taliban would not allow anti-China groups to operate under their rule and referred to the group as “a pivotal military and political force in Afghanistan.” He said they are “expected to play an important role in the process of peace, reconciliation and reconstruction.”

There have been reports that militants from among the Turkic Muslim Uyghur minority native to China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang have found shelter in Afghanistan. China has carried out a campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, including locking a million or more away in political re-education camps, Associated Press reported.

The overseas East Turkistan Islamic Movement has for years fought a low-level insurgency against Chinese rule.

It has been aligned with the Islamic State affiliate known as Islamic State in Khorazan Province, an enemy of the Taliban, but its current operational status is not know. 

Despite consistent and documented reports of Beijing’s crackdown the Uighurs, Wang was welcomed as a special guest this week at a summit in neighboring Pakistan of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. 

There Wang called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. None of the OIC participants or host Pakistan, who has been particularly vocal about growing Islamophobia, mentioned China’s crackdown on its minority Muslims. That has included the destruction of mosques and punishment for those Uighurs who participate in religious edicts.

China also has interest in stability in Afghanistan, as it has been used as a base for insurgent attacks against its nationals in neighboring Pakistan. It also has a multi-billion dollar road project in Pakistan linking the Arabian Sea Port of Gwadar with China in the northwest, Associated Press reported.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today inspected the under-construction 140-megawatt Tanahun Hydropower Project at Jhaputar of Rhishing Rural Municipality-1 in Tahanun, and instructed for its timely completion.

On the occasion, he inspected the project's dam site and power house and took updates about the progress in regard with the implementation of the project. PM Deuba pledged all required support on behalf of the government for the project construction.

The PM was here to attend some programmes in Tahanun and managed his time to visit the national pride project.

Managing operator at project promoter company Tanahun Hydropower Limited Kiran Kumar Shrestha apprised the PM of progress in the project development so far.

As he briefed the PM, the major works were being undertaken in three packages: 'package one' is about the construction of a 140-meter high dam and presently works to divert the river are going. Similarly, the works relating to the constructions of tunnel, power house and the supplies and hydro mechanical and electromechanical operations are dealt with under 'package two'. The 'package three' includes construction of a 220 KV double circuit from Damauli of the district to Bharatpur of Chitwan which is underway. So far, foundation works for 35 towers got completed and 16 towers have been built.

The project is expected to complete by the next five years (Asar, 2083 BS).

The Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) , European Investment Bank, Nepal government/Nepal Electricity Authority are the financial partners for the project and its estimated cost is US dollar 505 million. RSS

The Election Commission has decided to print 20 million ballot papers for the local level elections. 

Speaking at a press conference organized in the Election Commission on Thursday, Assistant Spokesperson Surya Prasad Aryal said that the poll body has decided to print 10 percent more ballot papers than the voters. 

The EC has already bought papers worth Rs 1.1 million to print the ballot papers. 

He said that the Janak Education Material Centre will print the ballot papers. 

The Commission has estimated that there will be 17.8 million voters in his election. 

The final voter list, however, will be made public on March 27, Aryal said.