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The government has decided to hold the local level elections on May 13.

A Cabinet meeting held in Baluwatar on Monday made the decision to this effect.

According to a minister, the government has decided to hold the local polls in a single phase.

Earlier, the Election Commission had recommended the government to hold the local level elections on May 18.

Nepal held its local elections in 20 years in 2017 in three phases—on May 14, June 28 and September 18.

Former Chairman of Rastriya Prajantra Party (RPP) Kamal Thapa has hinted at forming a new party.

Saying that the Nirwal Niwas had interfered in the party's general convention, he held a meeting with office bearers, central members and former central members on Monday.

During the meeting, Thapa said that he will look for alternatives if his demands are not addressed even when the date for the local level elections are announced.

"We will look for alternatives if the theoretical, organisational and ideological issues I have raised are not addressed," he said.

He also urged the leaders to support him if he looked for alternatives.

Leader Thapa, however, said that he will stay in the party if the issues raised by him are addressed.

Party office bearers, who attended the meeting, urged Thapa not to take any decision in haste, saying that they will pile pressure on Chairman Rajendra Lingden to address his issues.

Militants firing from inside Afghanistan killed at least five Pakistani soldiers at a border post in northwestern Kurram district on Sunday, the Pakistan military said, the second such attack since Taliban militants took over Kabul in August, Reuters reported.

The army said it retaliated, causing heavy casualties, but independent confirmation was not immediately possible because the districts along the mountainous Afghan border are off limits to journalists and human rights organisations.

“Militants from inside Afghanistan across the international border opened fire on Pakistani troops in Kurram district,” the military’s media wing said in a statement.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistan Taliban, which renewed an allegiance with the Afghan Taliban after the fall of Kabul, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

The Afghan government denied the firing had come from within Afghan territory.

"We assure other countries, especially our neighhours, that no one will be allowed to use Afghan land against them," Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, told Reuters.

The Afghan Taliban late last year played the role of facilitator in talks between the TTP and the Pakistan government.

Those talks fell apart in December, since when there have been a series of attacks on Pakistani forces along the border.

The military statement said Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by militants for activities against Pakistan and expects that interim Afghan government to halt such acts in future.

Pakistani security forces had just a day earlier completed a three-day operation against militants who had attacked two military bases in the southern province of Balochistan. At least nine soldiers were killed in those attacks.

“As per its promises, Taliban government should stop such cross-border militants attacks,” Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Pakistan’s interior minister, said in a statement.

Nepali Congress has appointed Prakash Sharan Mahat as the party spokesperson.

President Sher Bahadur Deuba appointed him as the party spokesperson, party Chief Secretary Krishna Chandra Paudel said.

Bishwo Prakash Sharma has been given the responsibility of spokesperson after the 13the general convention.

The party decided to give responsibility of spokesperson to Mahat after Sharma was elected as the general secretary of the party from the 14th general convention.

Mahat, who is close to President Deuba, had filed candidacy for the post of general secretary in the general convention.