November 17, 2024: Snapshot of today's main news

Kathmandu, November 17 — In this section, we present the key headlines of the day. If you have been busy and missed the news, we have got you covered. Here are the highlights.

Former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana passes away

Former Speaker of the Parliament, Damannath Dhungana, passed away today afternoon.

According to Gopal Krishna Ghimire, the President of the Nepal Bar Association, Dhungana was admitted to the Front Line Hospital after facing health issues.

He was also a well-known figure in the legal profession and had made a significant name for himself in the field.

Local level by-election: Nomination papers submitted enthusiastically

The nomination papers for candidates in the local level by-election to be held on December 1 were submitted at the respective election officer’s office from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, as confirmed by the Election Commission.

According to the Commission, two female candidates have filed nomination papers for the post of Chief of the Kailali District Coordination Committee, and one male candidate has filed for the post of Chief of the Okhaldhunga District Coordination Committee.

Similarly, for the vacant 8 posts of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson in rural municipalities and Mayor and Deputy Mayor in municipalities, a total of 84 candidates have filed their nominations: 35 women, 48 men, and 1 from another category. This was mentioned in the press release issued by the Commission on Sunday night.

RSP announces second phase of protest

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has announced the second phase of its protest movement, set to commence on November 23.

Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters on Sunday, RSP spokesperson Manish Jha outlined the party’s agenda and declared the launch of the next phase of demonstrations.

Jha expressed dissatisfaction with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, stating that despite efforts to meet and convey their demands, the Prime Minister did not allocate time for discussions.

One dead, 30 injured in Tanahun bus collision

One person has died and 30 others have been injured in a bus collision in Tanahun. 

The accident took place at Nayapul Gorechautara in Bandipur Rural Municipality-5. A collision occurred between two buses: one with registration number Gandaki GAA 0070 and the other with number plate BHE 1 KHA 3487. 

The deceased has been identified as 39-year-old Ram Bahadur Pariyar, a resident of Chauthe, Pokhara. He was the driver of the Gandaki GAA 0070 bus. 

One killed in elephant attack in Jhapa

A man was gored to death in an elephant attack early this morning at Deepjyoti tol in Damak Municipality-3. The victim has been identified as 45-year-old Min Bahadur Bhandari.

According to Meghraj Rai, the Chief of the District Forest Office, the incident occurred when an elephant began destroying the house of a neighbor, Subin Bhattarai.

When Bhandari tried to chase the elephant away, he was attacked. He died at the scene.

Government expenditure exceeds revenue in first four months of FY 2024/25

During the first four months (mid-July to mid-November) of the current fiscal year 2024/25, the government's expenditure exceeded its revenue.

According to data from the Financial Comptroller General Office, the government collected revenue of NPR 329.01 billion during this period, which is 22.36% of the annual target.

NEPSE index sees modest rise

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index saw a modest increase on Sunday, the first trading day of the week. While the market rose by just 5 points, the trading volume was notably high.

On Sunday, a total of 2.44 million shares were traded, amounting to NPR 11.72 billion in share transactions.

Stocks of companies like Unnati Sahakarya Micro Finance, Swabhiman Micro Finance and Upper Hewakhola Hydro Project saw positive circuit limits on Sunday. A total of 145 companies saw gains, while 92 companies experienced losses due to a decline in stock prices. Additionally, 6 companies' stock prices remained stable.

Gold price drops slightly

The price of gold in the Nepali market was set at NPR 160,000 per tola (11.66 grams) on Sunday.

According to the Federation of  Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association, the price of hallmark gold slightly decreased compared to Friday's rate.

On Friday, the price of hallmark gold was NPR 160,100 per tola.

Xi says he will work with Trump in last meeting with Biden

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pledged to work with incoming President Donald Trump in his final meeting with current US leader Joe Biden.

The two met on Saturday on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru where they acknowledged "ups and downs" in relations over Biden's four years in office.

But both highlighted progress in lowering tensions on issues such as trade and Taiwan.

Analysts say US-China relations could become more volatile when Trump returns to office in two months, driven by factors including a promise to raise tariffs on Chinese imports.

Israel hits Gaza and Lebanon in deadly strikes

Strikes by the Israeli military killed dozens in Gaza on Sunday, the civil defence said, while also hitting a Hezbollah stronghold near Beirut's international airport.

Israel has been fighting on two fronts since September, intensifying attacks on Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah after nearly a year of cross-border clashes alongside its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

A year after the Gaza war was triggered by Hamas's October 7 attacks on its south, Israel vowed to stop the Islamist militants from regrouping in the north of the Palestinian territory, launching a major assault there.

In the latest violence in the besieged Palestinian territory, the civil defence agency said Israeli air raids killed at least 46 people.

Nadal farewell most special tournament of my career - Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz says winning the Davis Cup for Rafael Nadal is a "huge motivation" and will mark the "most special" tournament of his career.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis after representing Spain in next week's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

Spain face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Tuesday as they look to add to their six titles - four of which Nadal has played a part in.

"It's probably the most special tournament I'll play in my career, because of what's happening, because of the circumstances," said 21-year-old Alcaraz, who is ranked third in the world.