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Players and football fans staged a protest outside the office of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) in Satdobato on Thursday, opposing ANFA’s decision to postpone the ‘A’ Division League until next year.

National team players including Anjan Bista, Bikesh Kuthu, Biraj Maharjan, and Rohit Chand also took part in the protest organized by the Nepal Football Players Association.

Football Players Association President Bikram Lama, along with other officials, players, and supporters, expressed strong objection to the ANFA’s decision to postpone the league.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Players Association had submitted a memorandum to newly appointed Minister for Youth and Sports Bablu Gupta drawing his attention to the issue.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 600 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 237, 800 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 237, 200 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 3, 010 per tola today.

Bhairahawa Customs Office has collected Rs 27.75 billion in revenue in the first three months of the current fiscal year.

According to Customs Officer Santosh Kumar Neupane, Rs 9.29 billion were collected in Shrawan, Rs 9.70 billion in Bhadra and Rs 9.28 billion in Ashoj.

The Customs Office, which was damaged by arson and vandalism during the Gen-Z movement, had been providing services from a tarpaulin for some time.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Development Association under the World Bank Group, and the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) are set to support disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and resilient infrastructure development in Nepal.

The three donor agencies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the next three years, the World Bank office said on Wednesday.

As per the tripartite understanding, priority will be given to climate-related risk assessment, strengthening of information systems, and climate risk management.

Stating that assistance is indispensable as Nepal is vulnerable to climate-related risks such as floods, landslides, droughts, and melting glaciers, the Office has expressed confidence that it would contribute to Nepal's economic development.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in partnership with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), organized the first Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting for the Inclusive Rural Development Project (IRDP) in Bardiya. The project carries a total budget of USD 8 million.

This meeting marked the official launch and operationalization of the five-year project (2024–2029) during which the PSC formally endorsed the project’s Action Plan.

The meeting was chaired by Secretary of MoFAGA Nita Pokhrel Aryal and co-chaired by KOICA Country Director, Kong Mooheon, Mayors and representatives from all eight municipalities (Badhaiyatal, Bansgadhi, Barbardiya, Geruwa, Gulariya, Madhuwan, Rajapur and Thakurbaba) of Bardiya District, officials from Bardiya National Park, and members of the Project Management Consultant (PMC) team of Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS).

During the meeting, the PMC provided an overview of the project’s objectives and implementation strategies, along with the Korean Invitational Training Plan designed to strengthen local capacities, reads a statement issued by KOICA Nepal.

Municipal Mayors shared their Local Initiatives Projects (LIPs), reaffirming their commitment to inclusive implementation at the grassroots level in the meeting. Bardiya National Park also presented plans to promote eco-tourism as a means of enhancing community-based livelihoods and conservation.

Addressing the program, KOICA Country Director Kong Mooheon expressed deep appreciation for the continued collaboration between KOICA and the Government of Nepal. He emphasized that the project reflects a shared commitment to improving rural livelihoods through inclusive and sustainable development, according to the statement.

Highlighting project components focused on dairy production, crop farming, agricultural machinery, compost production, and fish processing, he reaffirmed KOICA’s commitment to supporting small farmers, women, and marginalized communities through enhanced productivity and employment generation. He further expressed gratitude for the strong participation and support from all stakeholders.

Addressing the event, PSC Chair and Joint Secretary Nita Pokhrel Aryal underscored the long-standing friendship between Nepal and the Republic of Korea. She acknowledged KOICA’s significant role in supporting Nepal’s development across sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and capacity building. She appreciated KOICA’s continued cooperation and expressed the Government’s commitment to further strengthening this partnership to promote resilience, prosperity, and sustainable development in rural Nepal, the statement further reads.

Likewise, the Member Secretary Praladh Karki, Under Secretary of MoFAGA expressed appreciation for Korea’s ongoing contribution to Nepal’s socio-economic progress and highlighted the endorsed Action Plan as a symbol of shared commitment and future collaboration. Mayors of the participating municipalities also commended KOICA’s support and reaffirmed their full cooperation for effective and sustainable project implementation in Bardiya District.

Prior to the formal meeting, the delegation conducted a field visit to local cooperatives, including the Kedareshwor Dairy Cooperative in Bansgadhi and Kalpabrikshya Fish Processing Cooperative in Badhaiyatal. These visits showcased successful community-driven initiatives and highlighted opportunities for cooperative-led rural economic transformation.

Seven people were killed when a UPS cargo plane crashed while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday evening, the state's governor said, BBC reported.

At least 11 other people were injured when the freight plane exploded as it departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at around 17:15 local time (22:15 GMT), sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the plane's three crew members were likely to be among the dead, adding that, "Anyone who has seen the images and the video knows how violent this crash is".

Officials warned that people suffered "very significant" injuries in the incident and the death toll could rise, according to BBC.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has visited troops near the town of Pokrovsk, where the fiercest front line battle between Russia and Ukraine is currently taking place, BBC reported.

Zelensky posted photos showing him meeting personnel at a command post in the Dobropillya sector, some 20km (12 miles) north of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

Kyiv's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on Monday that Ukraine was increasing pressure on the Dobropillya front to "force the enemy to disperse its forces and make it impossible to concentrate their main efforts in the Pokrovsk area".

Russia has been trying to seize Pokrovsk - a strategic frontline town and logistic hub - for over a year, according to BBC.

It has been two months since the Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) last approved a public offering. 

A total of 99 companies are currently seeking Sebon’s approval to issue 1.37bn units of shares to mobilize Rs 80.64bn from the market even as Sebon continues to sit idly by, literally. Of these, 74 applications are for Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), while eight firms have proposed rights issues, four plan to issue debentures, and nine are mutual fund schemes.

Sebon last granted approval on Sept 3 to NMB Bank for its NMB Saral Bachat Fund E mutual fund scheme. Since then, the stock market regulator has not approved a single public issuance. Although the recent festive season, including Dashain, Tihar and Chhath, led to lengthy office closures, merchant bankers say the prolonged suspension cannot be justified merely by holidays. They allege that Sebon has not only withheld new approvals but also stopped accepting new applications since mid-September.

According to one investment banker, a mutual fund had submitted an application for approval on Sept 1, but no further filings have been registered since. “Sebon stopped registering applications altogether. Even rights and bonus share registrations are facing delays,” the banker said. The halt has disrupted expansion plans of several companies, particularly in the hydropower sector, that were preparing to raise capital through public offerings. Officials of Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal (IPPAN), the umbrella body of privately-owned hydropower projects, a few months ago alleged that Sebon officials had mobilized middlemen to collect kickbacks for IPO approvals.  

Meanwhile, Sebon’s own operations have been paralyzed for 42 days due to an ongoing employee strike. Sebon employees have been on a strike since mid-September against the finance ministry’s instruction for the reduction or elimination of various allowances, facilities and perks that they have legally enjoyed for the past several years. 

Interestingly, neither the Sebon nor the ministry has intervened to resolve the stalemate. Market analysts warn that the prolonged freeze is eroding investor confidence and blocking companies’ access to much-needed capital.