Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July
Thailand has released 18 Cambodian soldiers that were captured in July during deadly border clashes as part of a ceasefire the two countries agreed to on Saturday, BBC reported.
The handover was delayed by a day over Thai concerns over alleged violations of the ceasefire, but took place after sustained Chinese diplomatic pressure to ensure the deal holds.
Simmering tensions along Thailand-Cambodia border exploded early this month and went on for weeks, forcing nearly one million people from their homes, according to BBC.
Israel to bar 37 aid groups from Gaza
Israel is to revoke the licenses of 37 aid groups working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, saying they failed to meet requirements under new registration rules, BBC reported.
Well-known international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council are among those that will have their licenses suspended on 1 January, with their operations to end within 60 days.
Israel said the groups, among other things, had failed to hand over "complete" personal details of their staff, according to BBC.
Gold price drops by Rs 1, 100 per tola on Wednesday
The price of gold has dropped by Rs 1, 100 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 261, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 262, 100 per tola on Tuesday.
Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 4, 470 per tola.
RSP prominent leaders land on EC’s blacklist
The Election Commission has placed several prominent leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on its blacklist for failing to submit and make public their election expenditure details within the specified timeframe.
RSP leaders Sobita Gautam, Shishir Khanal, Ganesh Parajuli and Biraj Bhakta Shrestha among others, who won from the Kathmandu constituency in the last election, have been taken into action under the Election (Offences and Punishments) Act.
The Commission has also imposed a fine of Rs 1, 5000 after they failed to submit and make public the details of their election expenses on time.
Senior leaders of other political parties have also been placed on the same blacklist.
They include Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa, CPN-UML Secretary duo Rajan Bhattarai and Sherdhan Rai, Maoist leaders Onsari Gharti, Pampha Bhusal, Nepali Congress leaders Santosh Chalise, Bhimsen Das Pradhan and Milan Pandey, who contested the election from Sajha Nepal.
Though some of them have paid fines, the Commission said that they have still not made their election spending details public.
The Election Commission had directed all candidates contesting the House of Representatives elections on April 17, 2023, to submit their election expenditure details and make them public within the time frame given by the law.
However, candidates who did not comply with the directive were subject to action.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that the candidates, who did not submit the detailed election expenses report to the Commission within the specified time and did not make it public to the voters following the 2022 elections, are on the "black list" of the Commission.



