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The Second South Asia Trade Fair 2026 BS kicked off in Bhrikutimandap on Thursday.  

The fair has the participation of business groups representing Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

The business expo, which will run until May 11, aims to provide a common platform for exploring industrial, trade and service related opportunities in South Asia. 

The event was jointly inaugurated by ambassadors of various nations to Nepal and the business community. Managed by the Introduction Trade Shows Nepal, the fair has been organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Commence, and the Export Promotion Bureau in Bangladesh, with the support from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, Bhutan. 

The regional fair features pavilions from various nations.  It is expected to attract over 5,000 people from the business community and over 100,000 locals, promoting the exportable goods and encouraging business communities.

 Cottage and handicraft items, indigenous foods, ready-made garments, beauty products, furniture, agricultural products, IT related goods and services, domestic appliances and electrical vehicles are available at the fair, according to fair coordinator Suman Maharjan.

The event is expected to help promote products and services, assess  market potential, expand  buyer-supplier  collaboration and strengthen  regional and trans-national trade relations among the participating countries. 

Two people in a serious condition who were evacuated from a cruise ship with a confirmed outbreak of deadly hantavirus have arrived in the Netherlands for treatment, operator Oceanwide Expeditions has said, BBC reported. 

A third passenger in a stable condition was on board an evacuation flight that has been delayed, the operator added.

The MV Hondius is now sailing towards Spain's Canary Islands after being anchored for three days near Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off the West African coast.

Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Md. Golam Sarwar paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.

During the meeting held at Foreign Minister Khanal's office today, they discussed the issues of strengthening regional cooperation, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale struck Dhading district on Thursday. 

The epicenter of the earthquake was at Charangephedi in Dhading, the Department of Mines and Geology confirmed. 

The tremor was felt in Dhading and adjoining districts as well, said Dr Lok Bijay Adhikari, Chief of National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, Dr Lok Bijay Adhikari. 

No damage or casualties have been reported from the quake.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1, 800 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 298, 600 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 296, 800 per tola on Tuesday. 

Similarly, the price of silver, however, has dropped by Rs 105 and is being traded at Rs 5, 155 per tola today.

Argentina winger Gianluca Prestianni faces the prospect of missing his ⁠country’s opening ⁠World Cup matches after FIFA extended his six-game suspension for homophobic conduct to ⁠have a worldwide effect, Aljazeera reported. 

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the six-match ban imposed by UEFA ‌on SL Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to have worldwide effect,” a FIFA spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“The sanction has been extended in accordance with Article 70 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”

Tickets to World Cup matches in Toronto can now only be resold for their original price on FIFA's official marketplace, with soccer's world governing body updating its policy on Wednesday to comply with the Ontario government's recent ban on reselling event tickets above face value, Reuters reported. 

The new terms come one week after tickets for six matches at Toronto Stadium were removed from the official marketplace in response to the Canadian province passing its 2026 budget bill.

Ontario's "Putting Fans First Act" states no person can make a ticket available for sale on the secondary market or facilitate the sale of a ticket on the secondary market for an amount that exceeds the ticket's original price.

Iranian soccer chief Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday he will have a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the next ​three or four days at which he would seek assurances that his country will be respected at the World Cup in the United States, Reuters reported. 

Canada, which is co-hosting the June 11 to July 19 World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico, said it refused entry to Taj last week because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Taj said on Tuesday that Iran would not take part in the tournament if ​FIFA could not guarantee respect for the country's institutions in the U.S., where the team will be based and play ​all three of their group matches.