JANAKPUR: Ram Ashish Yadav of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal has been elected as the Speaker of the Madhes Province Assembly.

In the election held on Sunday, Yadav got 72 votes from the seven-party alliance.

Deputy Speaker of Madhesh Province Assembly Babita Raut Ishar announced the election of Yadav as the Speaker with 72 votes out of 96 province assembly members present at the meeting today.

Elected from Dhanusha Constituency no. 2 (B) from the JSP Nepal, Yadav was the Chief Whip of JSP’s parliamentary party in the Madhesh Province Assembly.

KATHMANDU: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a farewell call on Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire at his office in Singha Durbar today.

In the meeting, discussions were held on strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic and development cooperation, among other issues.

Speaker Ghimire thanked Ambassador Song, who is returning to his country after successfully completing his term, and highly praised his contribution to strengthening Nepal-China bilateral relations, expanding cooperation in economic development, and reinforcing relations between the parliaments of both countries.

Referring to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Nepal-China diplomatic relations throughout the year, Speaker Ghimire said that the various programs organized by both sides in 2025 have lifted the bilateral ties to a new height.

He stated that Nepal and China have remained good neighbours, close friends, and reliable partners, clarifying that the bilateral relationship is progressing on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding.

Speaker Ghimire reiterated that Nepal is fully committed to the One-China principle and expressed commitment not to allow any activity against China’s interests on Nepali soil.

The Speaker appreciated the support provided by the Chinese leadership to transform Nepal from a landlocked country to a land-linked one. He also noted that regular visits and dialogues between Nepal-China parliamentary delegations have further broadened and strengthened bilateral relations.

Speaker Ghimire expressed Nepal’s gratitude for the development assistance received from the Chinese government and emphasised that projects under the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) agreement and other development assistance projects should be implemented promptly.

Ambassador Song during the meeting expressed that China has given high priority to diplomatic relations with Nepal. He mentioned that during his tenure, significant progress was made in implementing the agreements reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit in 2020.

Ambassador Song stated that although people-to-people relations between Nepal and China are strong, economic relations have not developed to that level.

He recalled that a Nepal–China economic cooperation and investment workshop was held a few days ago and many Chinese entrepreneurs have shown keen interest to invest in Nepal.

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has emphasized the significance of remembering one’s traditions and culture.

While she acknowledged the need to gradually eliminate certain detrimental practices from cultural norms, she stressed that indigenous traditions and traditional costumes should not be forsaken.

PM Karki expressed this during a meeting today with a delegation from the Tamu Hyul Chonji Gurung National Council.

The council members attended the program in traditional attire.

The Prime Minister commended their clothing and suggested that it would be fitting for the government employees to don their traditional dress at least once a week.

“Some communities are currently seeking their identity. In the pursuit of modernity, their originality appears to be diminishing. They are often unaware of their true identity. However, we Nepalis possess a wealth of uniqueness. Our diverse original cultures and traditions must be preserved. Perhaps we should also think about implementing a policy for such attire to be worn in government offices once or twice a week,” stated Prime Minister Karki on the occasion.

During the meeting, Council General Secretary Raju Gurung extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the special event on Tamu Lhosar festival, scheduled for December 30.

KATHMANDU: The price of gold and silver has seen continuous fluctuations in the domestic market over the past few days.

The price of hallmark gold reached Rs 260,400 per tola (11.66 grams) last Friday, whereas today, the same quantity of gold has fallen to Rs 258,300.

Gold was traded at Rs 259,000 per tola last Tuesday, at Rs 259,700 on Wednesday, and at Rs 260,400 on Thursday.

Similarly, there has been fluctuation in the price of silver. The price of silver per tola increased from Rs 3,885 to 4,080 on Thursday.

The price of silver has been fixed at Rs 4,105 per tola today, according to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association.

KATHMANDU: At the call of the United Nations, the World Meditation Day is being observed across the globe, including Nepal today.

To raise awareness about meditation and its benefits, the UN General Assembly last year proclaimed December 21 as World Meditation Day, recalling the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

On the occasion, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is scheduled to host an event at Sainik Manch Tundikhel in Kathmandu this morning.

Similarly, a group meditation program including interaction on various aspects of meditation is being held at Brahmananda Saraswati Gram in Bosan, Dakshinkali Municipality-1.

Marking the occasion, various other stakeholders bodies are also hosting a variety of programs today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the significant benefits of meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation.

The WHO’s discussions on stress management underscore the importance of learning coping mechanisms, such as meditation, to support mental and physical well-being.

According to WHO, meditation can be a powerful self-care tool to support treatment and enhance overall well-being, particularly in managing symptoms of anxiety.

Incorporating mindfulness meditation into your daily routine, even for just a few minutes, can help you achieve a sense of calm and focus.

Additionally, WHO acknowledges the mental health benefits of practices like yoga, which often incorporate meditative elements.