Two arrested over theft of jewels at Louvre museum in Paris

Two suspects have been arrested over the theft of precious crown jewels from Paris's Louvre museum, French media say, BBC reported.

The Paris prosecutor's office said one of the men had been taken into custody as he was preparing to take a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Items worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the world's most-visited museum last Sunday, when four thieves wielding power tools broke into the building in broad daylight, according to BBC.

France's justice minister has conceded security protocols "failed", leaving the country with a "terrible image".

Egypt and Red Cross join search for hostage bodies in Gaza

Teams from Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been allowed to search for bodies of deceased hostages taken during the 7 October attacks, Israeli authorities have confirmed, BBC reported.

The Israeli government said the teams have been permitted to search beyond the so-called "yellow line" in the area controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.

Separately on Sunday, Israeli media reported that Hamas members had also been allowed to enter the IDF-controlled area of Gaza to aid the search, alongside the ICRC teams, according to BBC.

US and China agree framework of trade deal ahead of Trump-Xi meeting

The US and China have agreed the framework of a potential trade deal that will be discussed when their respective leaders meet later this week, the US treasury secretary has said, BBC reported.

Scott Bessent told the BBC's US news partner CBS that this included a "final deal" on TikTok's US operations and a deferral on China's tightened rare earth minerals controls.

He also said he did not anticipate the 100% tariff on Chinese goods threatened by US President Donald Trump coming into force, while China will resume substantial soybean purchases from the US, according to BBC.

NHRC urges all parties to maintain restraint

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on all parties engaged in peaceful demonstrations to exercise restraint. 

In a statement released today by spokesperson Dr. Tikaram Pokharel, the NHRC urged the government to respond appropriately and promptly to the demands of citizens, to seek solutions to ongoing issues, to ensure the involvement of all stakeholders, and to uphold and safeguard human rights alongside the citizens' right to peaceful protest. 

The Commission stated that it firmly believes that solutions to issues can only be achieved through dialogue and discussion and every problem must be addressed peacefully, adhering to the rule of law, the Constitution, legal frameworks, and the principles of human rights. 

Reflecting on previous incidents, the NHRC noted that even protests deemed peaceful have occasionally escalated into violence, thus urging protesting parties to exercise caution to avert such occurrences in the future. "To maintain peaceful demonstrations, all involved parties must act responsibly, and both the government and protesters share the obligation to prevent any disruptions in upcoming protests," the statement emphasized. 

Stating that ensuring peace during demonstrations required restraint, patience, and wise conduct from security forces, the NHRC additionally  highlighted that protesting groups must also uphold their responsibilities, including maintaining peaceful activities, avoiding hate speech, and refraining from provocative actions. 

Given that it is the state's duty to honor citizens' rights and foster an environment that allows for the exercise of those rights, it is crucial to address the legitimate concerns raised by the Gen-Z generation during the protests on Bhadra 23 and 24 (September 8 and 9), the Commission stated.

 

Thai Air Asia resumes Bangkok-Bhairahawa-Bangkok flights

Thai Air Asia has resumed flights from Bangkok to Bhairahawa and back to Bangkok from today.

An Airbus 320 from Bangkok with 17 passengers on board landed at the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa at 12:15 pm today.

Likewise, the plane carrying 162 people returned to Bangkok from Bhairahawa at 1:15pm, said Binod Singh Rawat, the information officer at GBIA.

According to him, Thai Air Asia will operate flights twice a week on the Bangkok–Bhairahawa–Bangkok route. The airline has obtained permission for regular flights every Sunday and Wednesday.

 

 

Nepse surges by 5. 19 points on Sunday

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 5. 19 points to close at 2, 509. 05 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 0. 60 points to close at 437. 00 points.

A total of 5,596,077-unit shares of 313 companies were traded for Rs 2. 66 billion.

Meanwhile, 10.75% SBL Debenture 2089 (SBLD89) was the top gainers today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. 

Likewise, Taragaon Regency Hotel Limited (TRH) was the top loser as its price fell by 7. 16 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 42 trillion.

Kurdish PKK announces it is withdrawing fighters from Turkiye to Iraq

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has said it is withdrawing all its forces from Turkiye to northern Iraq as part of a peace process with Turkiye, bringing an end to a months-long disarming process following a four-decade armed conflict that killed tens of thousands of people, Aljazeera reported.

“We are implementing the withdrawal of all our forces within Turkiye,” the Kurdish PKK said in a statement read out on Sunday in the Qandil area of northern Iraq, according to a journalist with the AFP news agency present at the ceremony.

It released a picture showing 25 fighters – among them eight women – who had already travelled there from Turkiye, according to Aljazeera.

Trump jointly signs Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire agreement at ASEAN summit

Thailand and Cambodia have signed an expanded ceasefire agreement in the presence of United States President Donald Trump in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, building on a deal that ended deadly border fighting in July, Aljazeera reported.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakulsigned the agreement on Sunday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, shortly after Trump’s arrival.

​​"We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done,” said Trump, who co-signed the agreement along with summit host Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as he made his first trip to Asia since returning to the White House, according to Aljazeera.