Submit your Article

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 31. 78 points to close at 2,902. 74 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 6. 60 points to close at 504. 64 points.

A total of 35,649,211-unit shares of 311 companies were traded for Rs 16. 32 billion.

Meanwhile, Three Star Hydropower Limited (TSHL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 98 percent. Likewise, Green Development Bank Ltd. (GRDBL) and Saptakoshi Development Bank Ltd (SAPDBL) were the top losers as their price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 64 trillion.

China's Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said, Reuters reported.

Commencement of the hydropower project, China's most ambitious since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday.

Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river tumbles 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) in a span of 50km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential, according to Reuters.

Russia launched a fresh wave of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine in an overnight attack on Monday, killing one person, wounding seven others and causing multiple fires in Kyiv, city officials said, Reuters reported.

Explosions lit up the night sky as the high-pitched whine of drone engines echoed off the walls of the capital's high-rise buildings.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rescuers and medics were working on sites across four districts of the capital. A subway station in central Kyiv, commercial property, shops, houses and a kindergarten were damaged, city officials said, according to Reuters.

The powerful Ecuadorean gang leader Adolfo Macías Villamar as Villamar has been extradited to the US to face charges of drug and arms trafficking, BBC reported.

Known as "Fito", he was recaptured in June, more than a year after he escaped from a high-security prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence for a series of crimes. 

He will appear in a US federal court on Monday, where he will plead not guilty to international charges of drug and weapons trafficking, his lawyer told Reuters. 

Macías was leader of Los Choneros gang, which is linked to powerful criminal organisations from Mexico and the Balkans. He is also suspected of having ordered the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023, according to BBC.

Japan's ruling coalition has lost its majority in the country's upper house, but Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he has no plans to quit, BBC reported.

Voters went to the polls on Sunday for the tightly-contested election, being held at a time of frustration at the coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito over rising prices and the threat of US tariffs.

Speaking after polls closed on Sunday, the prime minister said he "solemnly" accepts the "harsh result" but that his focus was on trade negotiations.

Having already lost its majority in Japan's more powerful lower house last year, the defeat will undermine the coalition's influence, according to BBC.

Six major highways in various parts of the country have been completely obstructed due to floods and landslides triggered by incessant rains.

Nepal Police Headquarters said that Koshi Highway in Sankhuwasabha, while Mechi Highway in Panchthar and Tamor-Corridor road section were completely obstructed.

The Kaligandaki Corridor in Nawalparasi East, the Shahid Highway in Rolpa and Jajarkot-Dolpa Bheri Corridor in Rukum West are other roads obstructed by the landslides.    

Similarly, Tokha- Nuwakot route, Kaligandaki Corridor in Baglung, Mid Hill Highway in Galkot of Baglung, Kaligandaki Corridor in Nawalparasi East, Kaligandaki Corridor in Nawalparasi East, Shahid Highway at Pariwartan Rural Municipality in Rolpa are partially blocked, allowing the one-way traffic. 

A new suspension bridge has been constructed over the Jhimruk River, linking Arkha Lamidanda of Gaumukhi Rural Municipality-1 with Rajwara Deurali-3. Spanning 374 meters and standing 180 meters high, the bridge is now one of the prominent infrastructures in the region.

Beyond easing travel for locals, the bridge has become a popular spot for photography and social media content. Ninety-year-old Tul Bahadur Thapa remarked that the bridge has not only reduced physical distance but also brought people emotionally closer. “The bridge has created a bond between the two villages. Earlier, even a short meeting required a day’s journey,” he shared.

Residents are pleased that the suspension bridge has overcome the challenges posed by the region’s difficult terrain. Gaumukhi Rural Municipality Chairperson Bishnu Kumar Giri noted that since the bridge’s completion, people have been flocking daily to take photos and make TikTok videos.

Although the original construction deadline was November, the bridge was completed ahead of schedule in June. Built by Upper Tamakoshi JV Company under an agreement with the Suspension Bridge Division Office in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, the project cost a total of Rs 27.274m.

For many locals who had only heard of such high-altitude bridges in districts like Baglung and Parbat, witnessing the construction firsthand was a moment of wonder. The foundation stone was laid by Member of Parliament Surya Thapa on 28 Nov 2024.

The bridge is also seen as a potential tourism asset and with its height and length, it is poised to rank among the top 10 suspension bridges in Nepal. The rural municipality plans to promote it as a tourism destination, particularly for photography and video shoots.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 193, 700 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 193, 300 per tola on Sunday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 2, 285 per tola today.