President urges government to prioritize promotion, preservation of art, culture and heritage
President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that the government should prioritize the preservation and development of Nepal's ancient and historical art, culture, heritage and resources to promote the country to the world.
Inaugurating the art exhibition under the Nepal Art and Culture Festival 2082 organized by the Nepal Art Council, he emphasized that everyone should be active in the development, expansion, and preservation of our languages, arts, and culture by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the democratic system.
"All sectors, classes, and professions can get the equal opportunity for progress and development in a democratic governance system. This is the beautiful aspect of democracy. Therefore, everyone must actively engage in the development, expansion, and preservation of our languages, arts, and cultures by utilising the opportunities provided," the Head of State said on the occasion.
He said that every year millions of tourists come to Nepal to study, conduct research, and observe the ancient and historical heritage, art, cultural assets, and activities in various regions of the country, and that heritage lovers must always be vigilant for its preservation.
President Paudel expressed the view that if extensive promotion is carried out both domestically and abroad to attract the attention of local and foreign tourists and businesses to the unique resources of Nepali art, culture, and heritage, it would contribute to the country's prosperity through the arrival of tourists.
Stating that Nepal's artworks and cultural heritage is famous worldwide, he said it is a matter of pride that the arts and culture, which serve as indicators of Nepali civilization, have succeeded in holding a distinctive position in the world.
The President stated that the Nepali language, art, culture, and heritage are our pride, identity, and dignity.
He said, "It is the responsibility of all of us, including the government and private institutions to preserve and promote the centuries-old arts, culture and heritage. In this context, I am pleased to inaugurate this festival organised with the participation of private, government and public sectors under the initiative of the Nepal Art Council."
President Paudel expressed his belief that with everyone's cooperation, a solid foundation for sustainable development of the country's tourism sector will be established.
Sabalenka to face American in US Open final for third year in a row
World number one Aryna Sabalenka will brace herself for a partisan crowd in the U.S. Open final for a third year in a row on Saturday, as she stands across the net from American Amanda Anisimova in the final match of her title defence, Reuters reported.
Sabalenka recovered from a set down to get past American fourth seed Jessica Pegula in Thursday's semi-final, as she bids to become the first woman to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams in 2013 and 2014.
She take the court on Saturday with fans squarely in her opponent's favour, after eighth seed Anisimova downed four-time major winner Naomi Osaka in another three-set thriller, according to Reuters.
Spain thrash Bulgaria but Georgia test Turkiye in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Spain kicked off their World Cup 2026 qualification campaign with an emphatic 3-0 win in Bulgaria, Aljazeera reported.
The Euro 2024 champions eased to a comfortable victory on Thursday at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia with first-half goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella and Mikel Merino.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was able to bring on Rodri Hernandez and Dani Carvajal for their first international appearances in several months after both recovered from severe knee injuries, according to Aljazeera.
Tielemans guides Belgium to comfortable 6-0 win in Liechtenstein
Captain Youri Tielemans scored twice as Belgium cruised to a 6-0 win over minnows Liechtenstein in their 2026 World Cup qualifying Group J at the Rheinpark Stadion on Sept 4, with winger Malick Fofana netting his first international goal, Reuters reported.
Maxim De Cuyper, Arthur Theate and Kevin De Bruyne were also on target for Belgium, who were never unduly troubled by their hosts and might have won by a far greater margin had they taken their chances.
The victory takes them to seven points from their three qualifiers so far and third position in the pool, three points behind leaders Wales but with two games in hand. Liechtenstein are bottom with four defeats, according to Reuters.
Germany shocked by Slovakia with third loss in row as World Cup path begins
Four-time world champions Germany suffered their first away loss in a World Cup qualifier after their shock 2-0 defeat by hosts Slovakia in their opening qualifier for the 2026 tournament, Aljazeera reported.
The Germans, who have set a goal of winning the 2026 World Cup, had never before lost a World Cup qualifier on the road, and they have now lost their last three consecutive matches, following defeats by Portugal and France in the Nations League in June.
“We did not show any emotionality in our game today. In terms of emotions, the opponents were miles ahead of us,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said after Thursday’s defeat. “We want to go to the World Cup, but today we were miles away from that, according to Aljazeera.
Gold price increases by Rs 2, 500 per tola on Friday
The price of gold has increased by Rs 2, 500 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 210, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 207, 900 per tola on Thursday.
Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 2, 490 per tola today.
Poland on the money as Cash fires home equaliser
Poland fullback Matty Cash fired home a late equaliser to ensure his side held the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier, a major boost to their hopes and a dent to Dutch ambitions, Reuters reported.
A thunderous right-footed shot from the English-born defender in the 80th minute was as much as Poland deserved after a strong second-half performance, having been a goal down at halftime at the Feijenoord Stadium.
The Netherlands and Poland now share top place in Group G with seven points each, although the Dutch have played one game less.
Coach Ronald Koeman had identified Poland as the key team to beat in the group, and his side looked on course to do so after Denzel Dumfries put them ahead in the 28th minute, according to Reuters.
Cape Verde keep ahead of Cameroon in World Cup qualifying
Tiny Cape Verde Islands kept up top place in their World Cup qualifying group as they won away on Thursday, while Algeria and Tunisia moved closer to qualifying for next year’s finals with victories of their own, Reuters reported.
But Ghana suffered a setback as they dropped unexpected points after giving up a last-minute equaliser away in Chad.
Cape Verde, who draw most of their side from migrant communities across Europe, scored a goal in either half to beat Mauritius 2-0 away with Jovane Cabral and Diney ensuring they stayed top of Group D with 16 points, one ahead of Cameroon, who had a 3-0 win over tiny Eswatini in Yaoundé, according to Reuters.






