Submit your Article

Russian President Putin has signalled he is open to bilateral talks with Ukrainian leader Zelensky for the first time since the early stages of the war.

As reported by BBC, Putin told Russian state television on Monday that Russia has "always looked positively on any peace initiatives." We hope Kyiv regime representatives feel the same way".

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, claimed Putin's words indicated a willingness to engage in direct negotiations with Ukraine about not attacking civilian targets.

Zelensky did not answer directly to Putin's comments, but said Ukraine was "ready for any conversation" to safeguard the safety of citizens, BBC reported.

There have been no direct talks between the two sides since February 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Commercial banks have set aside Rs 35.07bn for loan loss provisions in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024/25. According to the recent data of the Nepal Rastra Bank, the amount is Rs 4.80bn less than Rs 39.87bn that the bank had allocated for provisioning in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Of the 20 commercial banks in the country, Everest Bank allocated the least amount for loan loss provisions, setting aside only Rs 270m. This is lower than Rs 630m that the bank had set aside for provisioning in the same period of 2023/24. Standard Chartered Bank reversed its loan loss provisions, recording a write-back of Rs 99m in the third quarter year, against a Rs 250m provision in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

On the other hand, Kumari Bank topped the list for the highest loan loss provisions, allocating Rs 5.16bn by mid-April. Laxmi Sunrise Bank was next with Rs 3.19bn allocated for the same purpose by the end of third quarter. The need for high provision is due to rising non-performing loan (NPL) levels in the banking system. NPL levels of banks have reached as high as 8 percent by the third quarter. Out of 20 commercial banks, 18 saw an increase in their NPL level, with one bank recording an NPL ratio of nearly eight percent. Nine banks have an NPL ratio above five percent, while three banks—Standard Chartered, Sanima, and Everest—have NPLs at or below four percent. Banks like Nepal Investment Mega, Himalayan, Kumari, Laxmi Sunrise, NIC Asia, Nepal Bank, and Prabhu Bank also have NPL ratios exceeding five percent.

Banks profit up by 1.4 percent

Commercial banks collectively earned a net profit of Rs 41.25bn over the first nine months of 2024/25. According to the NRB, this is an increase of 1.4 percent over Rs 40.68bn that the bank had reported in the same period of the previous fiscal year. The profit growth is largely due to the facility for restructuring and rescheduling loans in the construction provided by the central bank. In the third quarter, 11 banks reported higher net profits, while nine saw a decline.

Nabil Bank has recorded the highest net profit among 20 commercial banks in the country. The bank’s net profit has reached Rs 5.05bn—a growth of 8.21 percent from the same period of the last fiscal year. Nepal Investment Mega reported a 38.61 percent surge in net profit to Rs 4.54bn, while Global IME’s profit grew by 37.12 percent to Rs 4.53bn. Everest Bank saw its net profit rise by 32.55 percent to Rs 3.45bn. Nepal Bank Limited reported the highest net profit growth of 2,032.8 percent, with its net profit reaching Rs 2.78bn by the third quarter.

Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos has arrived in Nepal on Tuesday.

Carlos, known for his iconic free kicks, landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu this morning for the Nepal Super League.

Nepal Sports Management and Event Company, the organizer of the NSL, brough him to Nepal.

He is scheduled to attend the second qualifier of the Nepal Super League 2025 between Dhangadhi FC and Pokhara Thunders at the Dasharath Stadium.

Vietnam's trade ministry has ordered stronger import controls to prevent illegal transshipment, in an attempt to avoid US tariffs that might harm the country's export-driven economy.

Effective April 15, the directive warns that rising trade tensions may fuel fraud, undermining attempts to avoid foreign sanctions. Though no country was mentioned, China accounts for about 40 percent of Vietnam's imports, and Washington accuses Beijing of using Vietnam to avoid tariffs, Reuters reported.

Vietnam is at risk of a 46 percent tariff from the United States, which has been postponed until July and might harm GDP and foreign investment.

According to Reuters, the decision comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit and pledged to collaborate to check goods' provenance. Earlier this week, Beijing also cautioned countries against signing trade deals with the United States at its expense.

Gold price has set a new record in the domestic market today.

According to the Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of precious yellow metal has increased by Rs 6, 900 per tola and is being traded at Rs 197, 900 per tola.

Likewise, the price of silver has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1, 970 per tola.

The National Examination Board has decided to hold the Grade 12 exams.

Amid growing uncertainty over whether the Grade 12 exams will be held on time owing to the teachers' protest, a meeting of the National Examination Board held this morning has decided to hold the Grade 12 exams as scheduled.  

But the agitating teachers have been saying that they would not participate in the Grade 12 exams.

The Nepal Teachers Federation had also appealed to the principals, teachers and staffers to not take part in the Grade 12 exams.

Board Chairman Mahashram Sharma informed that the meeting has decided to request all the concerned sides to help in conducting the exams.

He said that the meeting has also decided to urge the teachers to present themselves responsibly as exams are a sensitive issue.

“We are in a discussion. We will urge the teachers to present themselves responsibly as the exams are a sensitive issue. The Grade 12 exams will be held on time,” Sharma said.

The government is preparing to conduct the Grade 12 exams from April 24 by deploying civil servants even if the teachers do not participate in the exams.

The exams of 550, 000 students will be uncertain if the exams are affected by the protests of teachers.

The protests have even delayed the results of Secondary Education Examination (SEE) and affected the new admission process.

New Zealand First has introduced a member’s bill to Parliament that would legally define men and women based on biological sex, excluding trans individuals from legal recognition.

According to Reuters, the law, endorsed by party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, reflects the party's position on what it refers to as "biological reality."

Peters condemned the influence of the "deluded left," claiming that the bill will restore legal clarity. However, the law faces long odds because it must be picked from a ballot and passed with a majority vote in Parliament.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins criticized the idea as "typical populist politics," claiming it diverts attention away from more urgent national issues such as the cost of living and healthcare, Reuters reported.

The bill follows a recent UK Supreme Court decision that only biological women are covered by the Equality Act, sparking controversy about transgender rights.

The White House defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following reports that he disclosed sensitive military information in a signal chat with his wife and brother. While neither the administration nor Hegseth denied the communication took place, they dismissed the claims as leaks from disgruntled employees, insisting no classified material was revealed, Firstpost reported.

President Trump condemned the accusations as "fake news," blaming them on internal opposition: "He was tasked with eliminating negative individuals, so you don't always make friends." However, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has demanded Hegseth's dismissal.

The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Pentagon, with multiple senior officials departing and an ongoing internal investigation into information leaks. Notably, some of those who left were part of Hegseth’s original team, according to the Firstpost.

The incident follows an earlier Signal chat leak involving discussions of a military airstrike in Yemen.