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Greece and Egypt announced a strategic alliance on Wednesday to improve political coordination and regional stability in the midst of the Gaza conflict, Reuters reported.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met in Athens for the inaugural Supreme Cooperation Council, calling for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza and humanitarian aid access.  Mitsotakis supported an Arab-led Gaza rehabilitation plan following the ceasefire.

Migration was also a topic of discussion, with increasing arrivals from Egypt and Afghanistan putting a burden on Greek islands.  Despite putting an end to irregular migration in 2016, Egypt continues to be a major concern. 

As stated by the Reuters, EU recently pledged €7.4bn to Egypt to stem migrant flows and labeled it a “safe country” for returns, despite rights criticisms.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 61.26 points to close at 2,672.70 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 11.02 points to close at 451. 28 points.

 A total of 27,245,459-unit shares of 308 companies were traded for Rs 10. 51 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Micro Insurance Company Limited (NMIC) and Crest Micro Life Insurance Limited (CREST), with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Nyadi Hydropower Limited (NYADI) was the top loser as its price fell by 4.43 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 44 trillion.

China on Wednesday expressed regret and concern over Indian strikes on Pakistan, urging both sides to show restraint in response to a major escalation between its nuclear-armed neighbours, The Indian Express reported.

India and Pakistan exchanged heavy artillery along their contested frontier on Wednesday, after New Delhi launched missile strikes on its arch-rival.

Pakistan said Indian strikes had killed at least eight people, and India said Pakistani artillery fire had killed three civilians along the de facto border in contested Kashmir, according to The Indian Express.

China, which shares land borders with both countries and is a close ally of Pakistan, said it expressed “regret over India’s military action this morning” and said it was “concerned about the current developments”.

President Donald Trump termed escalating tensions between India and Pakistan "a shame" and urged a swift resolution following India's strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The move followed a militant strike on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people, according to Reuters.

Pakistan promised to respond, raising regional anxieties.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US is closely following the situation and has urged both sides to avoid escalation. He met with national security advisers from both countries, including India's Ajit Doval, who informed him on the strikes, Reuters reported.

While expressing support for India, the United States avoided condemning Pakistan and instead encouraged peaceful engagement. Analysts believe Washington may play a limited role in the ongoing crises in Ukraine and Gaza.

"They'll figure it out one way or another," Trump declared.

Life insurance companies in the country generated business worth over Rs 126m over the first nine months of fiscal year 2024/25.

Third quarter data released by the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) shows 14 life insurance companies operating in the country sold 13.54m policies over the nine-month period, earning a total premium of Rs 126.18bn. This marks a growth of 14.62 percent compared to Rs 110.08bn that these companies had earned in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

These life insurers issued 507,615 policies and collected a total premium of Rs 17.46bn in the ninth month of the fiscal year (mid-March to mid-April). Similarly, three micro life insurance companies sold 70,863 policies, generating Rs 131.08m in premiums during the same period. The micro insurers have collected Rs 555.69m in premium in the nine-month period.

All 14 companies recorded business growth during the review period, data shows. Nepal Life led the market in terms of total premium collected, while Citizen Life and Rastriya Beema Company posted the highest growth rates. By mid-April, Nepal Life collected a total premium of Rs 33.01bn, up 12.1 percent from Rs 29.45bn in the same period last year. National Life ranked second with premium earnings of Rs 15.64bn, a 21.26 percent increase from last fiscal year’s Rs 12.89bn. LIC Nepal came third with its total premium rising by 9.39 percent to Rs 14.03bn from Rs 12.83bn in the nine-month period of the previous fiscal year.

By mid-April, Himalayan Life earned Rs 12.59bn in premiums, marking a modest growth of 2.16 percent compared to the same period last year. In contrast, Rastriya Jeevan Beema recorded a significant surge in business, with premium collections rising by 49.25 percent to reach Rs 8.16bn. Suryajyoti Life Insurance posted strong results as well, earning Rs 7.65bn, a 17.34 percent increase year-on-year. Similarly, Asian Life Insurance saw its premium income rise by 11.66 percent to Rs 6.46bn. Citizen Life also posted notable growth, collecting Rs 5.08bn in premiums, a 19.84 percent growth from the previous year.

Meanwhile, Sanima Reliance Life Insurance earned Rs 4.84bn, reflecting a 13.32 percent growth, while MetLife Insurance collected Rs 4.44bn, 7.52 percent more compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year. IME Life also saw its premium earnings rise by 14.64 percent to Rs 3.77bn, while Reliable Nepal Life Insurance posted a robust 23.75 percent growth to Rs 3.69bn.

Prabhu Mahalaxmi saw its premium collections rise by 19.96 percent to Rs 3.67bn, while Sun Nepal Life earned Rs 3.08bn, marking a 10.62 percent year-on-year growth.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1, 700 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

According to the Federation of Gold and Silver Dealers' Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 191, 600 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 189, 900 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 965 per tola.

The US Supreme Court has temporarily permitted President Donald Trump to impose a ban on transgender people serving in the military while legal challenges proceed, BBC reported.

Trump signed executive orders urging the Pentagon to enforce the policy, claiming that transgender identification conflicts with military discipline and readiness. A lower court ruled against the action citing a lack of evidence, but the administration requested the court to defer to military judgment.

The court issued a stay in a 5–4 ruling, with three liberal judges dissenting. Following the decision, the Pentagon announced that it will begin discharging transgender service members, according to BBC.

Trump also issued a supplementary order stating that the federal government will only recognize gender as male or female, based on the sex assigned at birth.

At least 17 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed Tuesday when an Israeli airstrike hit a school sheltering displaced families near the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Xinhua.

Rescuers are still combing the rubble, with additional casualties expected. Hospital personnel have reported a critical surge of injured. 

As stated by the Israeli military, the strike targeted a Hamas command center based on "precise intelligence."

Since Israel started operations on March 18, nearly 2,500 Palestinians have been killed, raising the total number of deaths since October 2023 to more than 52,000, Xinhua reported.