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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 38. 10 points to close at 2, 781. 00 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 5. 74 points to close at 477. 68 points.

A total of 17,891,917-unit shares of 322 companies were traded for Rs 8. 09 billion.

Meanwhile, Bikash Hydropower Company Limited (BHCL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Oriental Hotels Limited (OHL) the top loser as its price fell by 4. 71 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 64 trillion.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 199, 400 per tola today.  It was traded at Rs 199, 000 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 2, 355 per tola today.

The Hindu women across the country are observing the Rishi Panchami festival today as per the rituals. The festival, the concluding day of the Teej, is observed on the fifth day of the bright half-moon of the month of Bhadra.

Hindu women reaching their menstruation period observe this festival with due respect and importance by fasting and paying homage to the Saptarshis (seven powerful saints as per the Hindu mythology) with a belief that they will be blessed and forgiven for all sins they believed to have committed during the menstrual cycle.

On the day, those observing the festival wake up early in the morning, go to nearby rivers, streams, ponds and lakes and take bath with established rituals. They clean their body with 365 stems of Apamarga, a medicinal plant; take bath with cow dung and soil collected from sacred places and ash.

The fasting ritual requires the devotee to take bath in the morning and carry out prayers after which the person is required to eat grains, vegetables, wild fruits, Kandamul, guava for a single meal and fast again.

On this day, women devotees throng the Shrisheshwar Temple in Teku of the capital city, Kathmandu, and other Rishi Temples across the nation for homage and worship.

The Department of Health Services has reported that the number of people being infected with Japanese encephalitis is increasing in the country.

So far, 103 people have been confirmed to be infected with Japanese encephalitis, and of them 20 have died, said Chief of Child Health and Vaccination Unit Dr Abhiyan Gautam.

He also said that Japanese encephalitis infections have been mostly found in people who have not been vaccinated.

People from Jhapa, Morang, Tehrathum, Bara, Sindhuli, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Dang, Bardiya, Kailali, Rautahat, Nawalparasi East, Chitwan and Nawalparasi West have died from the infection.

According to health workers, Japanese encephalitis is caused by the bite of mosquitoes, especially of the Culex species.

It causes serious brain infections, leading to even death in some serious conditions.

Four persons died on the spot when a jeep they were travelling in met with an accident in Dadeldhura on Thursday.

The four-wheeler (Se 1 Ja 738) was heading towards Dadeldhura from Chama when the incident occurred at Ukallikande, Nawadurga Rural Municipality-5, Dadeldhura at around 8 am today.

The deceased have been identified as Suresh Saud, Suresh Parki (23), Tara Awasthi (40) and Kalawati Saud (72) of Nawadurga Rural Municipality-5, Inspector Dambar Bista of the District Police Office, Dadeldhura informed.

Six persons were injured in the accident. They have been identified as Sushila BK (18), Pratika Karki (4), Chandra Bahadur Saud (48), driver Ram Bahadur Saud (35), Ganesh Bahadur Saud (42) and Prakash BK (44) of Nawadurga Rural Municipality-5.

They are undergoing treatment at the Dadeldhura Hospital, police said.

The jeep fell some 400 meters down the road. The reason behind the accident is yet to be ascertained.

Mexico has reported a 53 percent rise in flesh-eating screwworm cases, with 5,086 infections as of August 17, affecting cattle, horses, sheep, and dogs. Dozens of human cases have also been reported, mainly in Chiapas, and one case appeared in Maryland linked to travel in Central America, according to Al Jazeera.

The parasite, eradicated decades ago, re-emerged in 2023, causing $1.3bn in losses for Mexican cattle exports. US authorities warn that unchecked spread could threaten $100bn in livestock-related economic activity.

Mexico and the US are combating the outbreak with sterile fly programs and emergency veterinary drugs. Human risk in the US remains very low, officials say, but livestock protection is urgent, Al Jazeera reported.

Kyiv suffered a major Russian drone and missile attack overnight, killing at least four people, including a 14-year-old girl, and injuring more than 20. Explosions damaged residential and high-rise buildings across several districts, with a five-storey building in Darnytskyi destroyed, Al Jazeera reported.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko called it a “massive attack,” as rescue teams worked to free people trapped under rubble. The strike comes after recent US-Russia talks, which have so far failed to halt the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized Moscow’s stance in peace negotiations and called for increased pressure on Russia to end the fighting.

A Quinnipiac University poll finds 50 percent of US voters believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, including 77 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of independents; 64 percent of Republicans reject the claim, Al Jazeera reported.

Six in 10 voters oppose sending more US military aid to Israel, the highest level since November 2023. Sympathies are nearly evenly split, with 37 percent favoring Palestinians and 36 percent Israelis—the highest support for Palestinians on record.

Rights groups accuse Israel of genocide, which it denies. According to Al Jazeera, the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court have taken actions over alleged war crimes and Palestinian protections.