Top three leaders meet put off
The meeting of top leaders of the three major political parties, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, scheduled for today has been postponed.
The meeting to be held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar at 2 pm was to discuss contemporary political issues.
The meeting, however, was postponed due to special reasons, according to Prime Minister Oli's secretariat.
Nepse plunges by 24. 59 points on Thursday
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 24. 59 points to close at 2, 629.08 points on Thursday.
Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 60 points to close at 449. 89 points.
A total of 29,415,407-unit shares of 314 companies were traded for Rs 11. 23 billion.
Meanwhile, Panchakanya Mai Hydropower Ltd (PMHPL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 98 percent. Likewise, Pure Energy Limited (PURE) and Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company Limited (RHPL) were the top losers as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.
At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 37 trillion.
Timsina appointed Nepal's non-resident ambassador to Philippines
President Ram Chandra Paudel on Thursday appointed Netra Prasad Timsina, the Ambassador of Nepal to Malaysia, as the non-residential ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines.
President Paudel appointed Ambassador Timsina as the non-resident ambassador to the Philippines in accordance with Article 282 (1) of the Constitution and on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, the President's Office said.
Alarming fertility gap in Nepal
Millions of people worldwide, including in Nepal, are unable to have the number of children they desire—not due to a lack of interest in parenthood, but because of growing economic and social constraints, according to the UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population report titled “The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World.”
Based on data from 14 countries, including Nepal, the report finds that one in five people globally are not having the number of children they want. The reasons include high living costs, job insecurity, unaffordable housing and childcare, lack of reproductive health services, and concerns over global crises such as climate change and conflict.
In Nepal, despite a preference for two or more children, actual fertility has declined to two children per woman across all demographics. Provinces such as Bagmati and Gandaki, which are more urbanized, show a significant mismatch between desired and actual family size due to economic and social pressures. Labor migration, lack of affordable childcare, and gender norms also contribute to this gap. “Some people are prevented from parenthood while others are forced into it,” said Won Young Hong, UNFPA Representative in Nepal. “This is not about overpopulation or declining fertility—it’s about creating an enabling environment for reproductive choices.”
Globally, over 50 percent of survey respondents pointed to economic issues as key barriers to having children. In Nepal, urbanization, rising costs, and the absence of flexible work policies are making parenthood less feasible, especially for young couples. The report also notes a significant number of people over 50 saying they didn’t achieve their desired family size, and that in regions like Madhesh, many report having more children than planned—both signs of limited reproductive agency.
UNFPA identifies gender inequality as a core issue. In Nepal, caregiving duties fall mostly on women, while men often face stigma for playing nurturing roles. Lack of gender-friendly policies, such as parental leave and flexible work, perpetuate unequal parenting responsibilities.
“This is not just a women’s issue,” the report stresses. It highlights how young men, especially those with less education or economic security, are increasingly unpartnered and socially isolated, contributing to a growing global crisis of loneliness and fractured family structures.
Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, urged a shift from fear over fertility rates to empowering individual choice. “People need economic security and rights-based policies—not coercive measures,” she said.
Health Ministry Secretary Dilliram Sharma emphasized that Nepal’s focus should be on inclusive development through informed reproductive choices. National Planning Commission member Prof. Dr RP Bichha added that population policies should prioritize quality of life and youth productivity.
The report warns against coercive measures like fertility targets and cash incentives, advocating instead for policies that expand access to quality reproductive health services, paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and comprehensive sexuality education. As Nepal faces the prospect of one in five people being over 60 by 2071, UNFPA urges investments in gender-equal, choice-driven policies to secure its demographic future.
Iran foreign minister to attend OIC meet in Turkey on Saturday, source says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is expected to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said on Thursday, as war rages between Israel and Iran, Reuters reported.
The source said a special session of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers is expected to focus on Israel's recent strikes against Iran, including Thursday's attack on the Khondab nuclear site in Arak.
The Israeli military said it targeted a partially built heavy-water reactor at the site, which experts say could produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Turkey has sharply criticised Israel, called its actions illegal and said Iran was legitimately defending itself, according to Reuters.
Opening the two-day summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to call on Muslim countries to unite in the face of "destabilising actions" across the region, the ministry source said. President Tayyip Erdogan will also address the conference.
Thai PM faces calls to quit after leaked phone call
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's coalition government is on the brink of collapse after her phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen about a festering border dispute was leaked, BBC reported.
The leak provoked public anger and prompted a key coalition partner of the 38-year-old Paetongtarn's Peu Thai party to quit.
In the call, she addressed Hun Sen, a family friend and senior politician in the South East Asian region, as "uncle" and appeared to dismiss a Thai military commander.
"I would like to apologise for the leaked audio of my conversation with a Cambodian leader which has caused public resentment," Paetongtarn said Thursday, as the pressure on her intensified, according to BBC.
Non-banking assets of BFIs reach Rs 45.11bn
The non-banking assets (NBA) held by banks and financial institutions have surged by 63.45 percent over the past year, driven by a sharp rise in non-performing loans (NPLs), according to latest data released by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).
NBA refers to assets such as collateralized properties acquired by banks when borrowers default. Total NBA, which was Rs 27.6bn in mid-May last year, reached Rs 45.11bn in mid-May—a Rs 17.51bn increase in just one year.
When borrowers default on loan, banks acquire properties pledged with them as collateral. When banks fail to sell off these properties through auction, they are compelled to take them on as assets.
Commercial banks saw a 62.08 percent rise in NBAs over the past year, while development banks and finance companies recorded increases of 55.56 percent and 102.45 percent, respectively. Commercial banks have added Rs 38.48bn in total NBA, while development banks and financial companies have NBA of Rs 3.9bn and Rs 2.72bn, respectively.
Bankers are failing to dispose of repossessed collateral due to a slowdown in real estate transactions. They have been failing to find buyers despite publishing auction notices regularly.
Since banks are required to set aside 100 percent provisioning against such assets, this is tightening liquidity and impacting their profitability as well.
The average NPL ratio across banks and financial institutions also rose by 1.26 percentage points during the review period. The average NPL, which was 3.98 percent in mid-May last year, has now reached 5.24 percent. The steady rise in bad loans forced banks to absorb more collateral which has inflated their NBA portfolios.
Recognizing the strain caused by mounting bad assets, the government, through the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26, has proposed to establish a ‘bad bank’—a specialized entity to acquire and manage stressed assets from commercial banks.
The move aims at cleaning up balance sheets and improving liquidity and lending capacity in the financial system.
While details of the proposed bad bank’s structure and funding mechanism are yet to be outlined, former governor Maha Prasad Adhikari had instructed officials to start a study for the bad bank.
Trump approves Iran attack plan but has not made final decision, reports say
Donald Trump has approved plans to attack Iran, but has not made a final decision on whether to strike the country, the BBC's US partner CBS reports, Associated Press reported.
The US president held off from initiating strikes in case Iran agreed to abandon its nuclear programme, a senior intelligence source told CBS. Trump is reportedly considering a US strike on Fordo, an underground uranium enrichment facility in Iran.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected Trump's demand for unconditional surrender, as the US president said his patience had run out, according to Associated Press.
On Wednesday, Trump said, "I may do it, I may not do it", when asked a question about US involvement in Iran.
