- Saturday, 2 May 2026
Kathmandu, March 14: The Central Secretariat of the CPN (UML) is meeting today to review the recently concluded election and finalize the names of proportional representation (PR) members of parliament.
UML Central Office Secretary Dr Bhishma Adhikari shared that the meeting will be held at 1:00 pm at the private residence of party Chair KP Sharma Oli in Gundu, Bhaktapur.
The meeting will review the party’s performance in the March 5 election to the House of Representatives and also finalize the names of MPs to be elected from the proportional representation system.
The Election Commission has set today has the deadline for political parties to recommend names of candidates from the proportional representation system under the House of Representatives election.
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07- LDC Group Reaffirms Support for UN Mandate Implementation Review
Kathmandu, March 14: Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group and Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lok Bahadur Thapa, has said that the United Nations remains indispensable for advancing multilateral cooperation and delivering development outcomes for countries that are furthest behind.
Ambassador Thapa made the remarks while convening an ambassador-level meeting with the co-chairs of the Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review, according to the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations.
During the meeting, he reiterated the LDC Group’s full support for the mandate implementation review process, emphasizing that reforms within the United Nations must strengthen — not dilute — its development pillar.
Ambassador Thapa stressed the need for adequate resourcing of mandates, effective implementation and measurable impact for the least developed countries. Ambassador Thapa also highlighted the critical role of the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States in advancing the Doha Programme of Action and supporting the development priorities of the world’s most vulnerable nations.
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08- Man arrested for alleged assault on journalist in Jhapa
Jhapa, March 14: Police today morning arrested a man accused of assaulting a journalist in Jhapa district.
According to Khagendra Bahadur Khadka, Spokesperson of the District Police Office, Jhapa, police nabbed Yuwaraj Pathak, 45, of Kamal Rural Municipality in Jhapa district for allegedly attacking journalist Arjun Acharya.
Acharya, Chief of ratopati.com for the Koshi Province, was reportedly assaulted while covering election-related activities on February 26.
A joint team of police from the Area Police Office in Damak and Jhiljhile held Pathak from Shivasatakshi municipality-4 in the district, said Spokesperson Khadka.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident keeping the accused one in custody at District Police Office, Jhapa.
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09- Santoshi Shrestha wins Half Marathon at Pink Careathon-2026
Lalitpur, March 14: Santoshi Shrestha, a runner from Dhading district, secured first place in the 21.1 km Half Marathon at the Pink Careathon held today. The marathon concluded at Jawalakhel Football ground in Lalitpur.
Similarly, Rajyalaxmi Rawal of the Nepali Army finished second while Saraswati Bhattarai, also from the Nepali Army, came third under the Half Marathon category.
The event was organized by the Leisure Port Nepal with an objective of promoting women empowerment and raise awareness about breast cancer.
The programme began early in the morning with a Zumba session at 6:00 am, followed by a series of races covering different distances. It featured a 21.1 km half marathon, a 10 km race, and 5 km and 3 km fun runs to encourage wider public participation.
Under the 10 km race, Nirmala KC of the Nepali Army claimed first place followed by Asha Raut of the Armed Police Force in the second position and Sumitra Chaudhary of the Nepal Police in the third position.
The top three winners of the Half Marathon received cash prize of Rs 51,000, Rs 31,000 and Rs 21,000 respectively, said Namraj Joshi, President of the Leisure Port Nepal.
Likewise, top three winners of the 10-km race were awarded with Rs 31,000, Rs 21,000 and Rs 11,000 respectively along with various gifts.
Mumbai-based singer Janisht Joshi also performed during the event, entertaining both the participants and spectators with a musical presentation. Pink Careathon is being organized annually since 2017, said the organizer, adding that more than 1,000 participants attended this year’s edition.
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10- ‘Skills and knowledge gained abroad should be used for development of motherland’
Kathmandu, March 14: Minister for Foreign Affairs Balananda Sharma has emphasized the need to use the knowledge, skills and experience acquired abroad by Nepalis for the development of their motherland.
Inaugurating the 12th World Conference of the Non-Resident Nepali Association here today, he called on the NRNs to be partners in the country’s economic and social development.
He also stressed that the association should act as a bridge to enhance and improve the country’s geopolitical relations and soft power.
Expressing the view that non-resident Nepalis, as cultural ambassadors of Nepal, could contribute to Nepali soil by promoting mutual trust, he said that the government will amend the necessary laws for the protection and promotion of the association.
On a separate note, he said that the government is sensitive towards the security of Nepalis living in countries affected by the war ongoing in West Asia, and informed that rescue flights have been operated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Nepali missions in the respective countries to assist them in emergencies.
Executive Chair of the Association, Badri KC, said that the Association is active in attracting investment to Nepal and reiterated that the organization is committed to protecting the rights of non-resident Nepalis.
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11- Government implements policy to mix ethanol with petrol
Kathmandu, March 14: The government has implemented a new policy aimed at introducing ethanol-blended petrol. An order to this effect was published in the National Gazette on Friday.
According to the policy, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) must mix up to 10 percent ethanol in a liter of petrol, depending on availability. The policy aims to promote industries based on domestic raw materials, create employment opportunities, encourage the use of agricultural and biological resources, and reduce energy imports.
The order states that the mixing ratio may increase or decrease as required.
Molasses, Napier grass, agricultural waste, biological materials, straw, maize stalks, wheat straw, cassava, rotten grains, marcha (yeast), and certain chemicals are listed as raw materials for producing ethanol, which will be used as a fuel additive.
The use of edible food grains for ethanol production is prohibited. Raw materials used for ethanol production must comply with existing laws, and the ethanol produced must be supplied to the NOC.
Similarly, the policy requires producers to implement environmentally friendly measures during ethanol production, comply with established standards, and conduct quality pathology tests in their own laboratories.
The price of ethanol will be determined by the government before the start of each fiscal year, based on recommendations from the Recommendation Committee. The approved price will come into effect from the first day of the fiscal year (Saun 1 in the Nepali calendar).
The NOC and ethanol-producing companies must sign agreements for the purchase and supply of ethanol. If any industry violates the agreement, the NOC will have the legal right to seek compensation.
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12- Provincial govt focused on development of Madhesh: CM Yadav
Dhanusha, March 14: Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, Krishna Prasad Yadav said that the Madhesh Province government is focused on the overall development of the province.
CM Yadav said so while laying foundation stone for the building of the Madhesh Province Police Office in Janakpur, Dhanusha district today.
The CM argued that if the rights constitutionally granted to the province government are implemented effectively, many issues could be addressed at the provincial level itself.
He reiterated that with the full enforcement of federalism system, the citizens of the Madhesh Province would not need to travel frequently to Kathmandu (the federal capital) to seek realization of their rights.
Highlighting the provincial government’s priorities such as education, health, agriculture, infrastructures and employment sector, he shared that efforts are being made to promote these sectors.
However, he mentioned that limited resources have made it challenging to fully meet public expectations.
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13- UML finalizes 16 PR lawmakers
Kathmandu, March 14: The CPN (UML) has finalized the names of the 16 member of parliaments (MPs) for the proportional representation (PR) system under the March 5 House of Representatives election.
The meeting of the UML’s Central Secretariat that convened today has chosen Bhumika Subba, Gangadevi Shrestha, Ram Bahadur Thapa Magar and Kul Bhakta Shakya from the indigenous community category, according to Lekhraj Bhatta, UML’s Deputy General-Secretary.
He further shared that Padma Aryal, Tukabhadra Hamal, Yashuda Kumari Baral, Guru Prasad Baral and Pushparaj Kandel have been selected from the Khas Arya community.
Likewise, Kriparam Rana has been picked for the Tharu community cluster, Bishnu Maya BK and Nita Ghatani from the Dalit community, Ringla Yadav, Yashoda Kumari Yadav and Chandreshwor Mandal from Madheshi community.
Likewise, Sajida Siddiqui has been recommended from the Muslim community. The meeting also expressed grief over the passing of Mohan Prasad Oli, father of the UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli, and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
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14- NC CWC to finalize PR members of parliament tomorrow
Kathmandu, March 14: The Nepali Congress Central Working Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Sunday.
Acting Chief Secretary of the Nepali Congress Central Office Krishna Prasad Dulal shared that the meeting will discuss the issue of selecting members of the House of Representatives based on the number of seats won by the party from among the candidates on the proportional closed list.
The meeting will be held at the party central office, Sanepa, at 1:00 pm on Sunday.
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15- 4.7 percent votes invalid in House of Representatives election
Kathmandu, March 14: The Election Commission has stated that 4.7 percent votes were invalid in the House of Representatives member election held on March 5.
According to the Commission’s Assistant Spokesperson, Kul Bahadur GC, the percentage in together for both the first past the post and proportional representation election systems.
The percentage of invalid votes in the House of Representatives member election held in 2079 BS was 5.06 percent, while in the HoR election of 2074 BS it was 5.18 percent.
In the second Constituent Assembly member election held in 2070 BS, 4.96 percent votes were invalid. Similarly, in the first Constituent Assembly election in 2064 BS, 5.15 percent votes were invalid.
According to the Commission, fewer votes were invalid this time compared to the previous five elections. —
