<p>Nain Singh Mahar has been elected as President of the Nepal Students Union (NSU). <br><br>Chief Election Officer, Bharat Prasad Kharel informed that Mahar won the election with 1334 votes. His nearest rival Manojmani Acharya got 1209 votes.<br><br>Similarly, Kundan Kafle and Saroj Thapa have been elected as general secretaries.<br><br>The 11th general convention of the NSU started on August 7. A total of 3,307 votes were cast in the election, said election officer Krishna Prasad Paneru.<br><br></p>

<p>The annual Janai Purnima, also known as the Raksha Bandhan festival was observed across the nation today.<br><br>People believe that the use of the sacred thread will bring them good luck.</p><p>On this day, sisters also tie Rakhis, a wrist band as&nbsp; a symbol of protection, on their brothers’ hands, with a belief that it will bring security to their brothers.</p><p>People celebrate the festival eating kwati (soup cooked from germinated pulses) and other special food items.<br>&nbsp;<br><b>MEANWHILE,</b><br><br>President Bidya Devi Bhandari has today received rakhi on the occasion of Rakshya Bandhan and Janai Purnima festival.<br><br>Brahma Kumari Rajdidi, the director of Brahma Kumari Rajyog Service Centre, tied the rakhi, the symbol of love, prayer, bond of protection and well-being, around President Bhandari's wrist at the President House, Sheetal Niwas.<br><br>Similarly, priest Khem Chandra Dhakal also tied the sacred thread around President Bhandari's wrist, according to the Office of the President. <br><br><br></p>

<p>Coordinator of the Naya Shakti Party Nepal, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, has said that there is a need of economic revolution to head the country towards prosperity. <br><br>At a programme organised on 22nd Memorial Day of Rambriksh Yadav in Kathmandu today, Coordinator Bhattarai said that there should be economic and social transformation in the country to fulfill the dreams of martyrs.<br><br><br></p>

<p>The government has addressed two major demands of the Federal Alliance including the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF).<br><br>Today's meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to form a seven-member commission under coordination of former judge Girish Chandra Lal Das to collect the data of private and national property damaged in course of the Tarai-Madhes agitation and to look into it. <br><br>Similarly, the meeting also decided to provide one million rupees to each family of 52 persons, including 41 agitators and 11 security personnel, who lost their lives in the Madhes agitation, said Spokesperson of the government and Minister for Information and Communications, Surendra Kumar Karki.<br><br>Consensus has been forged to address two demands out of the three point agreement signed between the two power sharing parties—Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) – and the Federal Alliance. &nbsp;<br><br>Similarly, the meeting has approved in principle to formulate bill related to the working procedure of local bodies' election and the Rs 9.116 million spent while bringing the bodies of Nepalis killed in Kabul bomb blast back home. <br>A total of 13 Nepalis were killed in a bomb blast in Kabul on June 29. <br><br><br></p>

<p>CPN-Maoist (Revolutionary) chairman Mohan Baidya today stressed the need for a drastic change in the country, revealing his party's plan to form an alliance of like-minded parties very soon towards that end. <br><br>Formation of an alliance is the need of the hour to garner public opinion in favour of nationality, livelihood and judicial freedom of people. Baidya was speaking at a press conference in Sunsari. <br><br>Saying that active peaceful movements are needed to bring out a drastic change to the traditional leadership having 'old faces', he said that an alliance would be formed under the leadership of the Maoist leader CP Gajurel. <br><br><br></p>

<p>Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has issued directives for making the services of the Sajha Yatayat effective and convenient to the commuters.<br><br>PM Dahal had called the Sajha Yatayat office-holders to his official residence in Baluwatar and urged them to expand the Sajha bus service taking into consideration the inconvenience faced by the commuters in the Kathmandu Valley.<br><br>PM Dahal drew the Acting Director's attention to the need of adding at least 30 buses in the Sajha Yatayat's fleet after holding discussion with the concerned bodies and doing home work on it.<br><br>Acting Director Pandey stated that the PM's concern was very significant and they would reach to a conclusion on the matter after carrying out the necessary home work.<br><br><br></p>

<p>The Chitwan District Court has handed down a 34-year sentence each to three persons convicted of murdering a Chitwan National Park (CNP) employee. <br><br>A single bench of Judge Basudev Poudel ruled against Jiban Praja, 27, Giraj Praja, 17, and Man Bahadur Praja, 35.<br><br>The verdict against the convicts was announced under murder charge, robbery and smuggling of weapons. <br><br>The three were convicted of shooting CNP employee Shesh Chandra dead inside the CNP on September 25, 2014. The convicts were arrested from Bandarjhula on October 18, 2014. <br><br><br></p>