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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has made it clear that inhuman and heinous crimes committed during the conflict cannot be forgiven while taking the transitional justice to the final conclusion.

Inaugurating the Sixth National Convention of the National Ex-Army and Police Organization of Nepal (NEAPON) today, PM Oli, who is also the Chairman of CPN-UML, said that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Disappeared Persons would carry out works to provide justice to the conflict victims.

Stating that there would be no further delay in the formation of these commissions, he made it clear that any kind of murder, violence, activities that disturb religious harmony and anarchy would not be acceptable as the country has already adopted the democratic system after defeating authoritarianism.

"We are now in a federal democratic republican system. You can go to the people and contest in the election. After winning the election, when the UML started unprecedented works for development and prosperity by forming a government of its own, we were displaced at the instigation of the reactionaries. We are now in a coalition government," he said on the occasion.

Prime Minister Oli further said: "We have a history of nation building and unity. We will hand over a prosperous and an undivided Nepal to the new generation. We will not allow the country's borders to shrink and the national pride to be harmed. We will move forward by keeping our civilized and cultured society intact.”

Reiterating that national unity with social harmony was necessary in a diverse country, PM Oli stressed the need to further strengthen the trust reposed by the ex-servicemen and police organizations in the country and the party as the UML was leading the campaign to foster national unity and social harmony.

He also called upon the UML to organize a youth conference on the occasion of Democracy Day on April 24 to celebrate people's rights and development.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 28.97 points to close at 2,725.20 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 6.65 points to close at 458. 47 points.

A total of 23,773,731-unit shares of 311 companies were traded for Rs 10. 79 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Micro Insurance Company Limited (NMIC) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, 10% NIC Asia Debenture 2085/86 (NICAD85/86) was the top loser as its price fell by 4.79 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 52 trillion.

The short road intended to connect Karnali Province and Lumbini Province has been abandoned due to the absence of a bridge over the Bheri River, which links Surkhet in Karnali to Bhurigaun in Bardiya, Lumbini. Although the project to build the bridge began 12 years ago, no significant progress has been made, and the few pillars that were constructed now lie abandoned.

The bridge, which was supposed to connect Bhurigaun in Bardiya to Telpani in Surkhet, has not been completed or upgraded. As a result, local residents are forced to travel long distances for their daily commute. The total length of the planned road is 52 kilometers, which, if completed on time, would have been the shortest route connecting Surkhet to the Tarai. In the absence of the bridge, travelers must detour through Kohalpur to reach Bardiya.

Local producers are also facing difficulties transporting their goods to market due to the incomplete road. The project, which began in the fiscal year 2014/15, has stalled due to continued government neglect and lack of budget allocation. Although tracks have been opened from Bardiya to the Surkhet border and vice versa, the section in between remains incomplete.

The plan to build this 52-kilometer road was initiated in 2013. However, in recent years, the government has stopped allocating funds for the project. Notably, 12 kilometers of the proposed road falls within Bardiya National Park, posing additional regulatory challenges.

Locals believe that if the road were completed, it would significantly contribute to the industrial development of Surkhet, Lumbini, and other districts in Karnali. The route is considered the shortest link between the entire Karnali region and the Lumbini plains. Despite repeated petitions by local political parties to the government and visiting heads of state, the demand for the road’s construction has gone unheard.

Technical issues in the bridge’s design and an unresolved court case involving the contractor have further delayed the project. On 13 July 2012, a contract was signed with Pappu/Mall JV to complete the bridge within 43 months, by 13 Jan 2016. At the time, the estimated cost of the project was Rs 142.989m. Although two bridge pillars were placed in the Bheri River, construction was halted after a design flaw caused a bend in the middle pillar.

The contractor filed a legal case over the design issue, which remains unresolved. According to the Road Division Office in Surkhet, which oversees the project, the dispute has prevented further work on the bridge. Engineer Barkh Bahadur Kathayat from the office stated that the contract was terminated on 13 July 2022, after prolonged inactivity by the contractor. “The new contract process has not started because the case is still unresolved,” he said. “Only once the issue is settled can we proceed with a new contract for the bridge.”

The government has implemented an Act related to the production and sale of iodized salt after 26 years of its enactment. The Act was formulated in 2000.

The Act came into implementation after a meeting of the Council of Ministers on April 15 passed a proposal presented by Minister for Health and Population Pradip Paudel to this effect.

With the implementation of the Act, the legal way has been opened to work on solving the health problems found in children due to the excess intake of iodine which was pointed out to by a research conducted by the Ministry of Health before this.

It was stated that the Act would come into effect after a notification on the issuance of the Act is published in the government Gazette. The notification on the issuance of the Act was published in the Gazette on January 15, 1999.

However, the Act could not come into implementation so far, as the successive governments since 1999 failed to publish in the Gazette a notification on the implementation of the Act. As a result, regulations and guidelines could not be formulated for the implementation and regulation of the Act.

Now, with the implementation of the Act after two and a half decades, the legal process has been opened for the Ministry to proceed ahead with the work in this regard.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday decided to publish the notification with effect from July 17.

Chief of the Nutrition Section under the Department of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Lila Bikram Thapa, said that the research carried out a decade ago by the Ministry of Health had shown serious health problems due to the excessive intake of iodine in children as it was based on the past standards regarding iodine content in salt.

In a micronutrient assessment survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Population in 2016, iodine content in the urine samples collected from children aged six to nine years was found to be 314 micrograms per liter whereas the accepted iodine content was 300 micrograms per liter.

Doctors say that due to this, high blood pressure, thyroid and other problems are seen.

"Now with the publication of the latest Gazette notification related to implementation of the Act, it will be easier for the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and related bodies to enact the related regulation and revise the standards or carry out other necessary works," said Dr Prakash Budhathoki, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population.

Former Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed the need of amending the Constitution for political stability.

Addressing a press conference organized by Press Centre Nepal, Rupandehi in Bhairahawa today, Chair Dahal, who arrived in Rupandehi as part of the party's awareness campaign, expressed concern that the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress had brought the issue of Constitution amendment during the formation of the government but failed to proceed ahead with it.

"The Constitution amendment is necessary for stability and it should be reviewed and amended within 10 years," he said, adding that the Constitution amendment is not to restrict the rights of the people but to enhance their rights.

Stating that his party has no interest in toppling down the government, he said the awareness campaign has been launched to establish the rights of the people and to understand the sufferings and even to defeat all kinds of efforts launched against the republican system in the name of restoration of monarchy or any others.

With the onset of summer, watermelons have begun appearing in fruit shops across the market. As demand rises, farmers are busy harvesting melons planted along the banks of the Mechi River, which flows through the Nepal-India border. In Bhadrapur Municipality-3 farmers have successfully cultivated watermelons weighing between two to 10 kg after three months of dedicated work.

Manoj Kumar Rai, a resident of Bhadrapur-3, has been growing melons in the sandy soil of the Mechi River for the past 5–6 years. This season, he planted around 9,000 seedlings across approximately six bighas of land. Despite struggling to secure investment last season due to unfavorable weather, he is now optimistic. “This year’s production is better than expected,” said Rai. “There should be over 18 tons of melons in the field, with individual melons weighing between four to eight kilograms.” He added that the Bhadrapur Municipality has provided a subsidy of Rs 40,000 to first-time melon cultivators, which has eased the financial burden.

Another farmer, Anay Rajbanshi, has been cultivating melons on 30 kattas of land. “Last year, I made Rs 180,000 after expenses,” he said. “This season too looks promising in terms of production and income.” Rajbanshi appreciated the municipality’s support, saying it has encouraged farmers who previously relied solely on their own investment. A group of young farmers has collectively cultivated melons across eight to 10 bighas. “At a time when many youths are going abroad for work, melon farming has shown us we can build a future here as well,” said one of the youths. “With hard work, success is possible not just in soil, but even in sand.” He urged the municipality to continue supporting the program, which has provided subsidies for the first time.

Melons grown on the Mechi Riverbanks are being transported to Jhapa, other eastern districts, and even to cities like Lahan, Kathmandu, and Pokhara. Traders now arrive at the riverbank with vehicles to buy directly from farmers, offering Rs 28 per kilogram. Under its melon farming promotion program, Bhadrapur Municipality has provided Rs 40,000 each to 12 farmers. Suman Bimli from the municipality’s agriculture department said the initiative was introduced this year to support local farmers.

Mayor Ganesh Pokharel stated that subsidies were provided to those cultivating melons on at least 30 kattas of land. “This year’s harvest is impressive, and the municipality will continue this program,” he said. Pokharel added that Mechi melons have even reached five-star hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, highlighting the potential of local produce.

Japan recorded a trade deficit in its March-April fiscal year but racked up a surplus with the US, the Finance Ministry reported Thursday.

Japan’s global trade deficit totaled 5.2 tn yen (USD 37 bn) for the fiscal year through March, for the fourth straight year of deficits, according to the provisional statistics. The surplus with the US ballooned to 9 tn yen (USD 63 bn), Firstpost reported.

Exports to the United States are a contentious issue for US President Trump, and Japanese negotiators are in Washington to press their case against increased US tariffs.

Japan is a long-standing US ally and major investor in the US, employing hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and top diplomat Marco Rubio will hold talks with European counterparts in Paris later on Thursday to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The talks are the most significant transatlantic dialogue on the war since February and involve UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to BBC.

The US Secretary of State will attend conversations with Lammy, his French and German counterparts, and European national security advisers.The top priority is finding a way to end the war in Ukraine and understanding the consequences of Witkoff's discussions with Moscow.

European leaders are also urging the US to be more aggressive towards Russia, urging for a ceasefire without conditions, BBC reported.

These meetings are seen as significant for their message of renewed diplomatic cooperation between the US and its European allies.