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The price of gold dropped by Rs 1, 500 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 187, 800 per tola today. 

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1, 995 per tola today.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers being held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers  will endorse the estimated revenue and expenditure (budget) for the fiscal year 2025/26.

The budget proposal will be presented at a joint session of both Houses of the Federal Parliament this afternoon. 

According to the PM's private secretariat, a meeting of the National Planning Commission will also be held this afternoon under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister KP Oli. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel is scheduled to present the budget in the Federal Parliament at 3 pm today. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has extended best wishes to all Nepali sisters and brothers at home and abroad on the occasion of the Republic Day. 

"Today is the day when the people created their history by abolishing the repressive regime of the Royals; when the nation's interests took the centre stage; when the citizens' dignity was reinstated by breaking the pride and priggish of the throne and when the peoples' seven-decade-long struggle and sacrifice was materialized earn the republican system", the PM wrote on Facebook. 

"On the auspicious occasion of Republic Day, I sincerely wish all Nepali brothers and sisters residing in the country and abroad, Jaya Jaya Jaya Nepal!"  

Today, the 18th Republic Day is being celebrated across the country with various programs.. 

The 18th Republic Day is being celebrated across the country on Thursday.

The Republic Day Main Celebration Committee is holding a special function at Army Pavilion, Tundikhel. The Day is associated with people's movement and aspiration for change.

All three tiers of government are conducting the programs to commemorate the historic day. It is the day the country was declared a Republic.

The government has decided to observe the day for three days this year also.

The government offices in the country and diplomatic missions abroad would conduct programs along with illumination.

After the then CPN (Maoist) armed conflict and seven parties' peaceful movement, then King Gyanendra Shah restored the House of Representatives (HoR) on April 24, 2006, thereby returning the rule to the people's representatives.

Two years later, the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly on May 28, 2008, declared the country a Republic.

The Republic Day Main Celebration Committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to celebrate the Republic Day in a grand manner this year.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak is under pressure from opposition parties to resign, taking moral responsibility for last week’s reported visit visa scam. Though no concrete evidence of Lekhak’s involvement has emerged, opposition parties are demanding his resignation and the formation of a high-level judicial commission to investigate the issue.

Opposition parties, particularly the CPN (Maoist Center), Rastriya Swatantra Party, and CPN (Unified Socialist), obstructed Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday over the matter. Within his party, the Nepali Congress (NC), Lekhak is known as a politician with a clean image and integrity, having played a pivotal role in Nepal’s peace and constitution-drafting process. A key architect of the current NC-UML coalition, Lekhak is a close confidant of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. The NC insists he should be allowed to speak in Parliament to clarify the accusations, but opposition parties remain adamant about his resignation.

The parliamentary obstruction comes at a critical time—the government is set to present its budget on May 29, the constitutionally mandated deadline. Opposition parties have hinted they may allow the budget presentation, acknowledging that failure to do so could trigger a constitutional crisis.

Lekhak faces pressure not only from opposition parties but also from within his own party. Senior NC leader Shekhar Koirala publicly suggested he resign to facilitate an independent probe into the scam. On Wednesday, NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa stated that the home minister should step down, calling it a “political and moral issue.” Despite internal dissent, the NC’s official stance is that Lekhak will not resign, nor will a judicial commission be formed. NC Chief Whip Shyam Ghimire said that since only some officials have been implicated so far, seeking home minister’s resignation is unjustified.

On May 21, Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, chief of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Immigration Office, was interrogated by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for allegedly facilitating illegal foreign travel on visit visas. Officials describe the scam as potentially involving billions, with suspicions of senior home ministry officials’ involvement. Bhattarai’s abrupt transfer from the airport to the home ministry—followed by his arrest the next day—has raised questions. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the NC continue to support Lekhak, citing a lack of direct evidence linking him to the case. However, prolonged parliamentary disruption could intensify pressure for his resignation.

The Home Ministry’s reputation has suffered in recent years due to successive corruption scandals. Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand faces charges in the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal, alongside the home secretary and other high-level officials. Former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is also embroiled in cases involving cooperative fraud and passport misuse. After being denied the chance to speak in Parliament, Lekhak held a press conference to defend his position on Wednesday.

"It is unjust to drag leadership into controversy before the CIAA completes its investigation," he said. "I will not resign based on media and social media reports. No complaints have been filed against me. I deserve justice like any ordinary citizen." He also argued that past investigations into senior Home Ministry officials and the chief secretary did not prompt calls for political leadership to step down. Lekhak assured the Home Ministry would fully cooperate with the CIAA’s probe.

Former Nepali Congress lawmaker Mohammad Aftab Alam, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with an explosion and the subsequent murder of at least 23 persons in Rautahat at Fradahawa in Rajpur, Rautahat April 9, 2008, has been released from jail on Wednesday.

Jailer Bhimraj Koirala of Nakkhu prison said that Alam was released from the prison.

Earlier, the Rautahat District Court had found Alam guilty of the Rajpur bomb blast and the subsequent murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The Janakpur High Court today acquitted Alam, overturning the District Court's decision,  the court's Registrar Deepak Bhandari shared.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

During the meeting held at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar on Wednesday, matters of strengthening bilateral interests, mutual relations and multifaceted collaboration were discussed, while recognising that there is immense potential for cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, tourism, education and investment.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Oli briefed that the incumbent government had given priority to stability, development, good governance, social justice and social transformation along with the national ambition of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'.   

Similarly, the visiting Deputy Prime Minister Peters stressed the need of boosting the collaboration between the two countries even in the international forums for Nepal's development and prosperity. 

High-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry were also present in the meeting.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 16. 55  points to close at 2,692. 18 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 3. 95 points to close at 460. 92 points.

A total of 20,759,547-unit shares of 323 companies were traded for Rs 8. 58 billion.

Meanwhile, Om Megashree Pharmaceuticals Limited (OMPL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Barahi Hydropower Public Limited (BHPL) was the top loser as its price fell by 6. 84 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 51 trillion.