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Hungary is ready to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Thursday, after reports that Budapest is the White House’s preferred venue for a possible summit with Presidents Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Reuters reported.

Szijjarto dismissed claims that Trump called Prime Minister Viktor Orban about Ukraine’s EU bid, insisting “there was no such call.” The White House confirmed the two leaders spoke Monday about Ukraine’s accession talks and the option of Budapest hosting negotiations.

At least 11 people were injured when a jeep they were travelling in met with an accident in Darchula on Thursday.

The four-wheeler (Sudurpaschim Province 04001 Ja 0103) was en route to Hoparigad from Hopari in Naugad Rural Municipality when the incident occurred this morning.

According to the District Police Office, Darchula, four of the injured are in critical condition.

The severely injured have been identified as Parbati Tamata (25), Mohan Thagunna (26), Apsara Mahata (18), and Umesh Thagunna (35).

All the injured have been taken to Gokuleshwor for treatment.

Police Inspector and Information Officer Chhatra Bahadur Rawat said that the accident occurred due to a brake failure.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, said police.

Netherlands will send 300 troops and Patriot air defense systems to Poland to bolster NATO’s eastern flank and secure supply routes to Ukraine, Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said Wednesday. He stressed the forces will operate only in Poland, not Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported.

The announcement came after a suspected Russian drone struck eastern Poland, causing damage but no casualties. Warsaw called it a provocation.

Germany has also deployed Eurofighter jets and troops to Poland and Romania, with some jets responding to Russian air strikes near Ukraine this week, according to Al Jazeera.

A US federal court has issued an order in favor of President Donald Trump administration pertaining to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of immigrants.

With this order, the deck has been cleared for the Trump administration to remove 7, 000 Nepalis by ending their TPS status.

In a decision issued on Wednesday, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted an emergency stay pending an appeal. Immigrant rights advocates allege that the administration acted unlawfully in ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for people from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, Aljazeera reported. 

This decision means that the Republican administration can move towards removing an estimated 7,000 people from Nepal whose TPS designations expired on August 5. The TPS designations and legal status of 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans are set to expire September 8, at which point they will become eligible for removal.

Teachers and principals of private schools have launched a protest in Kathmandu on Thursday after the Education, Health and Technology Committee of the Parliament attempted to endorse the School Education Bill.

They started the protest in Maitighar Mandala, Kathmandu from today arguing that their demands be included in the Bill.

The Committee’s meeting is being held today.

The teachers and principals of the private schools have warned of intensifying the protest by closing the schools from August 25 if their demands are not met.

They announced a phase wise protest saying that the government turned a blind eye to their demands.

The principals staged a protest in Maitighar on Thursday by carrying banners.

The teachers and principals said that they would hold a rally in Kathmandu and picket the Education Committee and Parliament on August 22. They further said that the school buses across the country would pass through various part of the city with black flags the same day. 

Issuing a statement, the four umbrella organizations of the private schools—PABSON, NPABSON, HISAN, and APAN—warned of staging the protest if the five points in the report that contradict their demands are not removed.

US Vice President JD Vance said European countries will have to shoulder the “lion’s share” of guaranteeing Ukraine’s security in the event of a deal to end Russia’s war in the country, arguing that the United States cannot “carry the burden” alone.

In an interview with Fox News, Vance stressed that Washington is open to supporting efforts to end the war but expects Europe to play the central role. He said President Donald Trump shares this view, making clear that no commitments will be made until negotiations show what is needed to stop the fighting.

Vance added that progress has been made, with Russians and Ukrainians now discussing practical steps to halt the war, though the final outcome remains uncertain, Fox News reported.

President Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Lhasa to mark six decades of Beijing’s control over Tibet. He called for building a “modern socialist Tibet” and urged Tibetan Buddhism to align with socialist values, Al Jazeera reported.

China occupied Tibet in 1951 and established the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965, though many Tibetans maintain they were historically independent. The region remains highly restricted to outsiders.

Xi’s visit came as Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to India, underscoring Tibet’s strategic importance along the border and amid concerns over China’s major hydropower projects on the plateau, according to Al Jazeera.

Punauradham, located about 40 kilometers from Janakpurdham, the maternal home of Goddess Sita, lies in Sitamarhi on the Nepal-India border. Recently, it has been in the spotlight due to the construction of a grand Sita temple.

On Aug 7, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for the temple at Punauradham. The Government of India has allocated InRs 8.8bn (approximately Rs 14.08bn) for the temple and overall development of Punauradham.

Punauradham is being promoted as the birthplace of Mata Janaki. According to legend, when famine struck the Mithila region in ancient times, King Janak personally ploughed the field on the advice of sages. While ploughing, the blade (known as Sita in Sanskrit) struck something beneath the ground, revealing a baby girl. Since she was found this way, she was named Sita. The field where King Janak ploughed is believed to be Punaura in Sitamarhi.

King Janak raised Sita in Janakpur, the capital of ancient Mithila, and scriptures describe Janakpur as her maternal home. Later, Sita was married to Rama, son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya. This bond between Janakpur and Ayodhya laid the foundation of the cultural connection that continues to unite Nepal and India.

For years, Punauradham awaited preservation and development. The recent initiative of the Indian government is now being seen as a step toward fulfilling that goal.

Ram Roshan Das, successor priest at Janaki Temple, believes that the development of Punauradham will also attract more visitors to Janakpur. “Every site connected with Sita’s life deserves development.

The investment in Punauradham has come late, but it will benefit Janakpur too. When people visit the Sita temple at Punaura, they will certainly want to visit her maternal home, Janakpur, which is only 40 kilometers away. Even now, 80 percent of visitors to Janaki Temple are Indians. This cultural connection between the two countries will only strengthen,” he said. He also emphasized the need for Nepal to organize more events to encourage visitors from border areas and to coordinate with India for tourism plans connecting Sitamarhi and Janakpur.

Some concerns have emerged that Punauradham’s development might reduce tourism in Janakpur. But Mahashankar Thakur of Janakpur sees it differently: “I don’t believe development across the border will harm us. Even today, during the 15-day Mithila Madhya Parikrama, pilgrims visit three resting places across the border. That tradition has continued for centuries. Similarly, the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has only deepened Nepal-India ties.” The Madhes Province government has also allocated Rs 20m this fiscal year for billboards in Ayodhya to promote Janaki Temple.

In 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Janakpur, performed rituals at Janaki Temple, and declared that “Ayodhya is incomplete without Janakpur.” He announced a grant of InRs 1bn for Janakpur’s development. However, due to the lack of concrete planning, the amount remains largely unutilized. Two years ago, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a powerful BJP leader, also participated in the grand Ram-Janaki Vivah Mahotsav in Janakpur. Experts believe that investment in religious sites will further strengthen the cultural bond between Nepal and India, making the age-old connection of Sita even more vibrant.