Submit your Article

At least 19 people were killed by lightning in Bihar over the past 24 hours amid heavy rain and thunderstorms, officials said Thursday. Most victims were struck while working outdoors or sheltering under trees, Hindustan Times reported.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed condolences and announced compensation for the families. He urged the public to stay alert and follow weather advisories.

The India Meteorological Department has warned of continued lightning and rain in several districts as the monsoon remains active.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed regret after an Israeli strike mistakenly hit the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, killing three civilians and injuring others, including the parish priest.

Netanyahu called the incident a tragedy and reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to protecting civilians and religious sites. The Israel Defense Forces said the church was struck unintentionally by shell fragments during operations, and the incident is under review, according to BBC.

Pope Leo XIV voiced sorrow over the loss and renewed calls for a ceasefire, while the Latin Patriarchate urged an immediate end to the war.

Laxman Datt Pant, Founder and Executive Director of Media Action Nepal (MAN), has been elected to the Steering Committee of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), the world’s largest community of journalism support and media development organizations. The official confirmation was made during GFMD’s General Assembly held on Wednesday, July 16, marking the induction of 17 newly elected members from across the globe.

A total of 54 members submitted their candidacies, twice the number from the previous election held four years ago. The election ran for a month, from June 12 to July 14. Of the 215 general members, 76% participated in the voting process. Laxman Datt Pant becomes the first Nepali ever elected to the Steering Committee of the world’s largest media development community. 

Pant, a reputed communications expert and internationally recognized media rights advocate, will represent the Asia, Pacific, and Oceania region. His election brings Nepal’s and South Asia’s media development agenda to the heart of global policy and strategy discussions on press freedom, media pluralism, and safety of journalists. 

“It’s a great honor to serve not only as a representative of Media Action Nepal but also to bring the voice of the Asian media fraternity into global dialogue with organizations shaping media development, freedom of expression, and press freedom,” said Pant following the announcement.

Under Pant’s leadership, Media Action Nepal has championed independent and accountable journalism through research, capacity building, media rights monitoring, and advocacy. MAN is a member of several global coalitions, including the Media Freedom Coalition–Consultative Network (MFC-CN), theACOS Alliance, the Civil Society Coalition of the Forum on Information and Democracy, and GFMDitself.

Between 2022 and 2024, Pant notably served as Co-Chair of the MFC-CN, playing a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among 51 member states, more than 150 civil society organizations, and key international stakeholders such as UNESCO and the High-Level Legal Panel. An Adjunct Professor of media at the Tbilisi State University in Georgia, Pant has led numerous global efforts on media curriculum development, media training, and policy advocacy for information integrity and journalist protection.

The new Steering Committee’s four-year term will begin with an in-person meeting in Kuala Lumpur on November 20, 2025, coinciding with the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC). During the meeting, members will also elect three key office bearers — Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Treasurer, who, alongside the GFMD Executive Director Mira Milosevic, will comprise the Executive Committee and guide GFMD’s strategic direction for 2025–2029.

“I look forward to contributing an Asian perspective on how to safeguard media in crisis, including how to operate during challenges, stay resilient, and respond to new and emerging threats,” said Pant, reflecting on the challenging global environment for journalism.

The newly elected GFMD Steering Committee comprises 17 prominent figures in media development from around the world. These include Catherine Gicheru, Founder of the Africa Women Journalism Project (Kenya); Zoe Titus, Executive Director of NMT Media Foundation (Namibia); Nasr ul Hadi, Founder and Executive Director of PROTO (India); and Milka Domanovic, Regional Director at BIRN – Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (Bosnia & Herzegovina). Also elected are Lina Kushch, First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine; Lars Boering, Director of the European Journalism Centre (Netherlands); Adriana Garcia, Executive Secretary of Abraji – the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism; and the President and Co-Founder of the Media Institute of the Caribbean (Jamaica/Trinidad & Tobago).

The committee further includes Rawan Damen, Director General of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism – ARIJ (Jordan); Shireen Al Khatib, Acting Director of MADA – Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms; Courtney Radsch, Director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty (USA); Angie Holan, Director of the International Fact-Checking Network (USA); and Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy (Canada).

Rounding out the group are Caroline Vuillemin, General Director of Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland); Quinn McKew, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19 (UK); Simon Bishop, CEO of BBC Media Action (UK); and Laxman Datt Pant, Executive Director of Media Action Nepal (MAN), representing the Asia, Pacific, and Oceania region.

Women journalists working in various media outlets have emphasized on professional and dignified journalism. Journalists participating in an interaction on ‘Digital Media Management and Journalist Code of Ethics’ held in the capital on Wednesday pointed out the need for accountability in the Nepali journalism sector in recent days. 

In coordination with Working Women Journalists (WWJ), the program was organized by Press Council Nepal. The women journalists participating in the program discussed the need for the Press Council, the body responsible for monitoring and regulating the independent press, to play an important role as there are currently many problems in digital media.

At the program, Press Council member Santarem Bidari informed about the journalist code of ethics and said that it will bind journalists and the media morally. 

Press Council member Nakul Aryal, answering the questions of women journalists, said that the council is a supportive organization for journalists and it will facilitate making journalism professional and dignified. 

Similarly, former member of the council and WWJ advisor Subekchhya Bindu Tuladhar informed about the women-friendly communication guidelines, disability-friendly communication guidelines, senior citizen-friendly communication guidelines issued by the council. 

She recalled that these guidelines were prepared after a detailed study of Nepal's national laws, international treaties and agreements and after collecting opinions and suggestions from relevant stakeholders. 

Chief Officer of the council, Jhabindra Bhusal, informed that the council is working on YouTube regulation and management. 

At the program, WWJ President Ramkala Khadka said that the increasing interference in the press and freedom of expression is a matter of serious concern and emphasized that journalists should follow the code of ethics and promote dignified, responsible and professional journalism. 

She said that in some cases, journalists have complained that the council itself has pressured them to remove news from online portals, and that the council should work in the coming days to eliminate such a trend and create an environment where they can work independently.