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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index plunged by 30. 36 points to close at 2,514.58 points on Wednesday.  

Similarly, the sensitive index increased by 5. 35 points to reach 487.19 points.

A total of 4,959,919 units of shares of 229 companies were traded for Rs 2. 35 billion.

Likewise, all sub-indices saw red in today’s market.

Meanwhile, Mountain Energy Nepal Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 8.10 percent. Likewise, Bishal Bazaar Company Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 5.78 percent. 

At the end of the day, total market civilization stands at Rs 3. 56 trillion.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for “maximum restraint” in Ukraine and said China is “pained to see the flames of war reignited in Europe,” state media reported, in his strongest statement to date on the conflict, Reuters reported.

Xi, speaking at a virtual meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said the three countries should jointly support peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Xi described the situation in Ukraine as “worrying” and said the priority should be preventing it from escalating or “spinning out of control”, CCTV cited him as saying.

He also said France and Germany should make efforts to reduce negative impacts of the crisis, and expressed concern about the impact of sanctions on the stability of global finance, energy supplies, transportation and supply chains,according to Reuers.

China, which has refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine or to call them an invasion, has repeatedly expressed its opposition to what it describes as illegal sanctions on Russia.

China’s friendship with Russia, strengthened last month when President Vladimir Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on the same day that the countries declared a “no limits” strategic partnership, has become awkward for China as the war in Ukraine escalates.

Moscow describes its actions in Ukraine as a “special operation” to disarm its neighbour and unseat leaders it calls neo-Nazis. Ukraine and its Western allies call this a baseless pretext for an invasion to conquer a country of 44 million people, Reuters reported.

The Election Commission (EC) has clarified that it has decided to prepare ballot papers in the forthcoming local level election by putting details with a green election symbol on a white background as it is voter and enumerator friendly. 

Asked about the colour of ballot papers and election symbols, Spokesperson of the Commission Shaligram Sharma Poudel said that ballot papers with green, black, blue and red symbols have been used in the last few elections.

The commission has decided to put the green election symbol, green line and green number on the white paper with the intention of making the counting of votes easier and the sign on the ballot paper clear.

According to the commission, ballot papers with green, blue, red and black election symbols are being practised in the previous election as well. 

In a regular press conference held on Monday, the commission had decided to print the symbol, details and security mark on the ballot paper in green ink while printing the required ballot papers for the local level election to be held on 13 May.

Earlier on Tuesday, the main oppostion CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli had expressed his dissatisfaction over the Election Commission's decision to print green ballot paper for the upcoming local level elections. RSS

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and US Ambassador to Nepal Randy W. Berry held a meeting on Wednesday.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the duo discussed issues of mutual interest and implementation of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

On the occasion, Minister Karki thanked Ambassador Berry and the US government for the implementation of the $500 million grant compact.

Ambassador Berry inquired about the implementation of the MCC after it was endorsed from the Parliament.

Minister Karki said that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been taking efforts to implement the MCC.

Berry said that the US government will continue to support economic prosperity of Nepal, the Ministry of Communications said.

Media experts and journalists of South Asia have called for a systematic structural change in the media outlets of the region to break the bias and to accelerate women’s equal participation in leadership roles. 

These observations and insights came during the South Asia Panel discussion  on “Accelerating Women’s Equal Participation in Media”, organized by Media Action Nepal to observe the 112th International Women’s Day on March 8. The hour long virtual session comprised panelists from six South Asian countries -- Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal along with a keynote speaker from Pakistan. 

Presenting a grim picture of the South Asian media ownership modality, Laxman Datt Pant, Chairperson of Media Action Nepal and the Co-Chair of theMedia Freedom Coalition-Consultative Network (MFC-CN) said, "The region requires an immediate structural transformation in the media ownership to encourage women journalists to lead newsrooms and take decision-making roles." This can be done through policy revisions and reflections of the gender sensitive indicators in actions to ensure that an enabling environment is created in terms of recognition and respect, Pant added.     

Similarly, Dr. Sadia Jamil, Chair of the Journalism Research and Education Section at International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) emphasized that gender inequality is rooted in culture across South Asia and goes beyond the newsroom. As women working in media or for the promotion of gender quality in media, it is important to understand that strong women or strong journalists are not born but rather are created by embracing the challenges they face, she added. 

While talking about challenges women journalists face to have a career in journalism, Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Executive Director of Center for Investigative Reporting, Sri Lanka and the Co-Convener of South Asian Women in Media said, “Media institutions are mostly run by men and for men. The structure, culture, family and institutions in South Asia are less supportive to women to have career in journalism or media."  It's noteworthy that organizations like Media Action Nepal and others have been working to support transformation in the structure of media institutions that will support women to assume leadership positions, she added. 

Priyanka Jha, Vice-Chairperson of Media Action Nepal said, “While talking about challenges, it is also important to talk about the safety of journalists. Until women journalists feel safe physically, mentally and economically, it is less likely for women to build a career in journalism.” Regardless of our choice of media, we have a good chance of encountering stereotypes that perpetuate gender discrimination and it is because of the control of media lies at the hand of one particular gender, she lamented. 

Pallavi Sareen, Editor-in-Chief of the Straight Linein India, said, “Due to the existing gender stereotypes, it is difficult for women journalists to go to the field and collect the news. People would not want to share their stories with women journalists as they think women journalists will not take their stories where it needs to be.” Adding to that, she also shared that it is important to have women journalist’s support groups so they can help each other.

Nasima Akter Soma, President of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Samity (Bangladesh Female Journalists Association) said, “For women journalists to move ahead in their career, it is important they have support from fellow male journalists. Women can be at decision-making position in the media only with the support from the fellow male journalists.” 

Similarly, Tashi Dema, a senior journalist of Bhutan said, “Women journalists should be trained and mentored as necessary for their career growth and to ensure they make up to the decision-making level based on meritocracy.” 

The panel discussion moderated by Durga Rana Magar, Gandaki Province Coordinator of Media Action Nepal, was attended by over 50 journalists and media professionals of the region. 

Media Action Nepal, a member of the MFC-CN has been promoting a gender sensitive working environment and gender sensitive media content through capacity building and research initiatives in Nepal and across South Asia. 

Gold price climbed to an all-time high of Rs 105,500per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

As per the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, price of the precious yellow metal increased by Rs 2,500 per tola in the domestic market today to reach the record. On Tuesday, gold was traded at Rs 103,000 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 105,000 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 40 per tola and is being traded at Rs 1,450 per tola. Earlier, it was traded at Rs 1,410 per tola.

Pakistan’s Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking to remove him from office after holding his government responsible for the uncontrolled inflation, The Hindu reported.

The motion document, which was signed by about 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was submitted with the National Assembly Secretariat, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

As per rules, signatures of at least 68 Members of Parliament were required to force the Speaker to summon a session, which should be convened between three to seven days to conduct a vote on a no-confidence motion.

In the house of 342, the opposition needed the support of 172 members of the National Assembly to remove the Prime Minister and his cabinet.

PM Khan, 69, is heading a coalition government and he can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides, which is not unusual in parliamentary democracies, according The Hindu.

Opposition parties blame PM Khan’s government for uncontrolled inflation that has broken the back of poor people of the country, while Khan accuses them of trying to remove as he was not willing to condone the alleged corruption by the leading opposition leaders.

PM Imran Khan, a former cricketer, came to power in 2018 and elections are to be held in 2023 if he succeeded to ward off the challenge of no-trust move, The Hindu reported.

He had promised to clean the country of corruption and create a new Pakistan.

Last year in March, the premier had voluntarily sought a trust vote following an upset in Senate elections. In a show of strength, he had secured 178 votes – six more than required – to win the vote of confidence from the National Assembly, the Dawn website reported.

Corpses lie in the streets of Mariupol. Hungry people break into stores in search of food and melt snow for water. Thousands huddle in basements, trembling at the sound of Russian shells pounding this strategic port city, Associated Press reported.

“Why shouldn’t I cry?” Goma Janna demanded as she wept by the light of an oil lamp below ground, surrounded by women and children. “I want my home, I want my job. I’m so sad about people and about the city, the children.”

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in this encircled city of 430,000, and Tuesday brought no relief: An attempt to evacuate civilians and deliver badly needed food, water and medicine through a designated safe corridor failed, with Ukrainian officials saying Russian forces had fired on the convoy before it reached the city.

Nearly two weeks into the invasion, the Russians have advanced deep along Ukraine’s coastline in what could establish a land bridge to Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014. Mariupol, which sits on the Azov Sea, has been surrounded by Russian soldiers for days, according to the Associated Press.

Mariupol, said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, is in a “catastrophic situation.”

In other developments in the Russian invasion:

— Poland offered to give all of its MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S., apparently agreeing to an arrangement that would allow them to be used by Ukraine’s military. But Pentagon press secretary John Kirby later said the plan is not “tenable” and raises serious concerns for the NATO alliance. He said the U.S. would discuss it further with Poland.

U.N. officials said that 2 million people have now fled Ukraine.

— Russia’s economic isolation deepened as U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports and Shell said it will no longer buy oil and natural gas from the country. Also, Adidas and McDonald’s said they are suspending their operations in Russia.

For days, as Moscow’s forces have laid siege to Ukrainian cities, attempts to create corridors to safely evacuate civilians have stumbled amid continuing fighting and objections to the proposed routes. Ukraine has rejected Moscow’s offers of corridors that lead civilians to Russia or its ally Belarus, Associated Press reported.

The Russian military has denied firing on convoys and charged that the Ukrainian side is blocking evacuation efforts.

One evacuation did appear successful Tuesday, with Vereshchuk saying that 5,000 civilians, including 1,700 foreign students, had been brought out via a safe corridor from Sumy, an embattled northeastern city of a quarter-million people where overnight strikes killed 21, including two children, according to the Associated Press.