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Two persons died when a school bus met an accident at Bhanjyang in Pharping of Dakshinkali Municipality-3, Kathmandu district on Sunday.

The ill-fated bus was carrying 50 students of the Junkiri English School.

The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained, according to the District Police Range, Kathmandu.

SP Apilraj Bohora shared that the students injured in the accident have been sent to various hospitals for treatment while the rescue operation was underway.

The details of the accident are awaited, SP Bohora added. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stated that it is too early to comment on whether the recently issued ordinances will be endorsed by the House.

In response to a question from journalists at the Federal Parliament Building today, he said that the time has not yet come to count the quorum for the endorsement of the ordinances issued by the government.

It may be noted the government had issued six ordinances at different times before the commencement of the parliament's ongoing winter session.

According to parliamentary rules, these ordinances shall be presented to the parliament once the session begins.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 11. 49 points to close at 2, 688. 31 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 25 points to close at 452. 21 points.

A total of 15,855,610-unit shares of 305 companies were traded for Rs 8. 39 billion.

Meanwhile, Central Finance Co. Ltd. (CFCL) and Guardian Micro Life Insurance Limited (GMLI) with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Saptakoshi Development Bank Ltd (SAPDBL) was the top loser as its price fell by 6. 52 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 46 trillion.

The progress of national pride projects envisaged and initiated by the government for effective public service delivery and to boost economic growth has not been so satisfactory owing to several reasons.

One of them is dismal capital expenditure of those projects despite all possible means and resources and facilitation on the part of the government.

Of the total Rs 66 billion allocated for the 19 of the total 27 national pride projects for the current fiscal year 2024/25, only Rs 17 billion has been spent as of the six months of the current fiscal year, 2024/25, according to the Ministry of Finance.

This is 25.70 percent of the total budget, the Ministry said.

The number of national pride projects rose from 17 to 27 since its inception in the fiscal year 2012/2013 based on the need of the nation and projects' relevance.

Out of 27 projects, some of them have been completed while some have achieved a breakthrough and 19 of them are currently in the process of implementation.

Last fiscal year, over 60 billion was allocated for those 19 projects. Their financial progress was 89.82 percent and physical progress was at 57.50 per cent, the Ministry said. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Arzu Rana Deuba held telephonic conversation with Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a diplomatic initiative for the release of Nepali youth Bipin Joshi who is believed to be held captive by Hamas.

Minister Rana held telephonic talks with her Iranian counterpart on Thursday night, urging him to take initiative for Joshi's release.

On the occasion, Foreign Minister Araghchi gave the assurance that he would raise the topic of Joshi's release with priority in his upcoming meeting with Hamas officials, Foreign Minister Rana's private secretariat said.

Hamas has started releasing people under its captivity after the ceasefire between it and the Israeli government.

The government has continued with the diplomatic initiatives for the safe release of Joshi from Hamas' confinement.

In this connection, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Deuba had held telephonic talks with the Egyptian Foreign Minister as well last week, urging for support for Joshi's release.

Minister Dr Deuba has been requesting Qatar and Egypt that had been mediating with Hamas for peace talks ever since efforts were made for a ceasefire between the Israeli government and Hamas for taking special initiative for Joshi's release.

Minister Dr Deuba held telephonic conversation with Israel's Foreign Minister some weeks back on this topic. Similarly, Ambassador of Nepal to Israel, Prof Dr Dhana Prasad Pandit, also in telephonic conversation with the Israeli President some days back, had urged for Joshi's release.

The government has continued the diplomatic initiatives for securing Joshi's release since last year.

Minister Rana has been making diplomatic efforts for Joshi's release through the United Nations, international and regional forums and meetings.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh saw the deep bonds of UK-Nepal friendship through the Gurkhas – from the care provided to veterans and their dependents in Nepal, to the 274 young Nepali men who today formally joined the British Army at the annual Attestation Parade.

At the Attestation Parade, Their Royal Highnesses witnessed the important moment for the young Nepalis who have reached the end of the selection process, marking the beginning of the military career for 274 Nepalis who will join the British Army. After the formal event, The Duke and the Duchess met some of the families of the new recruits. 

This year, 274 trainee riflemen will join the British Army following a highly competitive recruitment process. The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas led the march-out of the Parade, attended by proud family members of the new recruits who hail from across Nepal.

The Duke of Edinburgh said: “You are now a Gurkha. One amongst only 274 new Gurkhas from over 13,000 potential recruits this year. This has been one of the greatest challenges of your lives. You deserve to feel very proud of your achievement," reads a statement issued by the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

The 274 successful trainee riflemen join the British Army after a rigorous, open and transparent, year-long selection process. They will head to the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) in Catterick in the UK, where they will undergo a nine-month training programme. 

Others in attendance included British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn; Colonel Commandant of the Brigade of Gurkhas Major General Strickland DSO MBE; Major General The Lord Lancaster TD PC, Deputy Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas; Colonel Dan Rex MVO, Commander British Gurkhas Nepal (BGN); and Lieutenant Colonel Rajeshkumar Gurung, Deputy Commander BGN witnessed the Attestation of the new recruits. 38 Coronation Medals and 2 Long Service & Good Conduct Medals were also presented to Gurkha and British Staff on parade.    

The Duke and The Duchess also visited the Gurkha Welfare Trust (GWT) “Area Welfare Centre” (AWC) Kaski and saw how the UK – through different charities – provides support in Nepal to those who have served in the British Army. They also spent some time seeing the work of the GWT Residential Home, that cares for 20 of the most vulnerable former-Gurkhas or their widows with accommodation and support. In addition, Their Royal Highnesses received a briefing on the work of the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association KAAA in Nepal. 

As part of the visit to the Residential Home, The Duke and Duchess met 104-year-old Ash Kumari Tamang, whose late husband was a Gurkha soldier who served with the 4th Gurkha Rifles during the Second World War, and she has been living in the Residential Home since 2011. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has committed to completing the development projects in the stipulated timeframe adding that it was government's priority.

Writing on his Facebook wall, the PM mentioned that he was holding discussions with the chief ministers from all seven provinces today to discuss about the progress of the development projects.

PM Oli has also shared that Rs 30 billion has been paid to the construction entrepreneurs adding that the government has advanced from the past situation where the contractors were not paid even after the completion of the development projects.

"We have a priority -- to complete the initiated projects. Many of the stalled infrastructure-related projects have now progressed at a faster pace," the PM asserted.

Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Transport, Devendra Dahal, has tabled the 'Ship (Operation and Management) Bill-2081' in today's meeting of the National Assembly.

He said although the United Nations General Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 guaranteed equal rights of landlocked countries to the seas, dozens of international conventions have been implemented even after the execution of the Ship Registration Act, 2027.

Minister Dahal mentioned that national flag-carrier ship could not be registered as the Act did not incorporate the provisions of the convention.

The bill was tabled as it was necessary to promote internal water transport by making arrangement of registration and regulation of cruise ships since different capacity of cruise ships are in operation at different rivers in Nepal, added Minister Dahal.