Snapshot of today's news

Kathmandu, September 25 — In this section, we present the key headlines of the day. If you've been busy and missed the news, we’ve got you covered. Here are the highlights.

Mishra’s monarchy remarks put Prachanda on the hot seat

Following a controversial discussion between Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Senior Vice Chairman Rabindra Mishra, Prachanda's secretariat issued a denial on Wednesday. Mishra had claimed on social media that Prachanda made positive remarks about the monarchy during their meeting on Tuesday, releasing a seven-point statement.

Mishra quoted Prachanda as saying, "During my last term as Prime Minister, I reviewed all the details of Nepal's industries, and it turns out many good things were done during the Panchayat era. King Mahendra was indeed a visionary king." He added, "Some of my friends were completely negative about the monarchy during the conflict. I was in favor of cooperating with the king if it would benefit the country."

Former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Nepal Samajwadi Party Dr. Baburam Bhattarai criticized Prachanda’s remarks. He stated, "The truth of the intimate conversation between Prachanda and Rabindra Mishra is known only to them. However, everyone aware of the intense internal conflict within the Maoist movement knows that this is just a facade! Because that is the reality of Prachanda."

As the controversy surrounding Prachanda’s comments on the monarchy escalated, his personal secretary Ramesh Malla claimed there was no truth to Mishra’s remarks, describing them as a fabrication.

Lightning claims three lives

 Lightning strikes in various parts of the country, including Rolpa, have resulted in the deaths of three individuals. A 42-year-old woman, Chandrakali Oli, residing in Tribeni Rural Municipality-5, Rolpa, died on the spot after being struck by lightning on Tuesday afternoon.

In a similar incident, 36-year-old Kumar Motey from Damak Municipality-4, Jhapa, who was working on a house in Miklajung Rural Municipality-3, Morang, also succumbed to injuries after being struck by lightning. He died while receiving treatment at Damak Hospital after being critically injured.

Additionally, 60-year-old Khamba Katuwal from Budiganga Municipality-4, Bajura, lost his life at the scene last night due to a lightning strike. The police are conducting an investigation into these incidents.

Gold prices hit all-time high

A new record for gold prices has been set in the Nepali market on Wednesday. According to the Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association, the price of hallmark gold reached 160,400 rupees per tola (11.66 grams).

This price is noted as the highest ever.

On the previous day, Tuesday, the price of hallmark gold was 159,700 rupees per tola. Thus, today, the gold price increased by 700 rupees compared to the previous day.

Real Madrid confirm Mbappe has suffered thigh injury

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe faces a spell on the sidelines because of a thigh injury.

The France international, who joined the Spanish club in the summer after his contract with Paris St-Germain expired, scored in a 3-2 win against Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday before being substituted after 80 minutes.

Speaking after the game, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "He's fine, a little overloaded, he asked me for the change to avoid problems."

In an update on Wednesday, Madrid said that "following tests" the 25-year-old "has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg" and "his progress will be monitored".

Durga Prasain faces additional five days in custody amid cyber crime allegations

The Kathmandu District Court has granted police permission to keep medical professional Durga Prasain in custody for an additional five days for investigation. Previously, the court had allowed a three-day detention for the investigation under the Electronic Transactions Act of 2008.

Prasai, who was arrested on September 22, was presented in court on Wednesday by the Cyber Bureau, which requested seven days for further investigation.

A complaint has been filed against him for allegedly defaming character of people on the YouTube channel "Desh Duniya Khabar" and other channels. The operator, Jiwan Pandey, and presenter, Prakashchandra Dahal, who broadcast his interview, are currently absconding.

All seven provinces to have their own aircraft, says Tourism Minister

Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Pandey, has proposed that all seven provinces operate their own planes under their names. Speaking at an event in Pokhara on Wednesday, he suggested that Nepal Airlines buy planes which the provinces can then operate under their own names.

During discussions with tourism ministers from various provinces and tourism experts, excluding Bagmati Province, he emphasized the need for each province to purchase and operate a plane in its own name. Pandey stated that there was an agreement reached in the meeting to allow each province to have its own aircraft.

NEPSE index soars; climbs 49 points to reach 2,519.57

 After three trading days, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index has seen a significant increase on Wednesday. Starting at 2,473 points, the index rose by 49 points, climbing to 2,519.57 points.

Previously, on Sunday, the market had increased by 11.58 points. However, on Monday and Tuesday, the market declined by 59 points on both days. Today, the prices of 223 companies have risen, while 18 companies saw a decrease and three companies remained unchanged.

Sri Lanka’s new leader must balance ties between India and China

The Marxist lawmaker who won Sri Lanka’s presidency faces a key challenge in how to balance ties with his country’s two most crucial partners, India and China, as he seeks to draw foreign investment and pull the economy out of the doldrums.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55, won the weekend election in an extraordinary political upset against an old political guard that voters blame for tipping the country into its worst economic crisis two years ago. Dissanayake must now deliver on promises to improve Sri Lankans’ lives, clean up government and ease austerity measures imposed by international lenders.

But looking beyond Sri Lanka’s borders, he also must navigate the rivalry between regional powerhouses India, the country’s next-door neighbor, and China, which Dissanayake’s party traditionally has leaned toward.

AFC U-20 Qualifiers: Nepal suffers 6-0 defeat to Uzbekistan

In a challenging match at the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers held in Chinese Taipei, Nepal suffered a heavy defeat to Uzbekistan, losing 6-0.

This marks Nepal's second consecutive loss in the tournament, following a tough 4-1 defeat to Cambodia in their opening match.

Despite showing resilience in their previous game, where they managed a commendable 3-1 victory against the hosts, Nepal struggled to keep pace with the formidable Uzbek side.

Dispute resolved: Ranjita and Resham remain co-chairs of Nagarik Unmukti

The dispute between Ranjita Shrestha, chairperson of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, and founding leader Resham Lal Chaudhary has been resolved. Following their agreement, a central committee meeting has been scheduled for October 4 and 5 with joint signatures.

Both will continue as co-chairs of the party. Resham Lal Chaudhary was elected chairman during the first general convention, but his chairmanship became controversial due to a complaint filed with the Election Commission. As a result, Ranjita Shrestha declared herself chairperson.

The disagreement over the chairpersonship escalated to the point of physical altercations between their supporters at the party office. Since then, the party has been divided into two factions, with Chaudhary asserting his position as the chair elected from the convention and Shrestha claiming her role as chair.

Nepal’s labor exodus: Over 57,000 workers head abroad in just one month

Over 57,000 Nepalis have left for foreign employment in just one month. In the month of  Bhadra (August-September), a total of 57,493 Nepalis went abroad for work.

According to statistics from the Department of Foreign Employment, 39,557 Nepalis obtained labor approval for the first time during the period, while 17,936 renewed their labor permits.

Among those who left, there are 50,770 men and 6,723 women. A total of 29,528 people left through manpower companies, while 9,026 obtained individual labor approvals. Additionally, 1,003 went through government-to-government (G2G) agreements.

Thailand legalizes same-sex marriage

Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law Tuesday, allowing same-sex couples to legally wed.

The law was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and will come into effect in 120 days. This means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to register their marriage in January next year, making Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage.

The bill, which grants full legal, financial and medical rights for marriage partners of any gender, sailed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate in April and June respectively.