Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
China ready to help upgrade Barhabise-Tatopani road: Ambassador Chen
Ambassador of China to Nepal Chen Song has said that China is ready to help upgrade the Barhabise-Tatopani road section. During a discussion held on Wednesday evening with stakeholders at the Tatopani Customs Office about border management and the road leading to the Miteri Bridge, Chinese Ambassador Chen said that both countries can build roads together. He also shared that Chinese technicians will come to study the location of the landslide and other facets of the road.
PM Dahal and Jhalanath Khanal hold talks
Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Unified Socialist leader Jhalanath Khanal held talks this morning. Krishna Bhattarai, Khanal’s personal secretary, said that the discussion on current political matters took place at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar this morning. The meeting, spanning approximately 45 minutes, reportedly centered on enhancing the capabilities of federal and state governments. Khanal’s rendezvous with Prime Minister Dahal follows United Socialist Party Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal’s meeting with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday.
Madhav Nepal will not walk out of the coalition: PM Dahal
Prime Minister (PM) and Chairman of the Maoist Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has affirmed that Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal will remain a key figure in the current ruling coalition. During his visit to Biratnagar this morning, Prime Minister Dahal assured journalists that, based on recent discussions, Nepal’s involvement in the political landscape is not diminishing. “He appeared to be aligning with both sides for a while. However, in our recent conversation, Madhav Nepal made it clear that he’s integral to the coalition and will remain so,” Prime Minister Dahal stated.
Arrest warrant issued for officials involved in issuing citizenship copy to Sirohiya
An arrest warrant has been issued against the officials responsible for issuing a copy of citizenship to Kailash Sirohiya. This development follows the release of Sirohiya, who has been instructed to remain available for further investigation. The police have initiated an investigation into the case involving the issuance of Sirohiya’s citizenship. As part of this probe, authorities are actively searching for the officials who were involved in the process at the time. The arrest warrant targets the then Chief District Officer (CDO) Sharad Kumar Bhattarai and officer Kashi Raj Dahal.
Nepal begins exporting 400 megawatts of electricity to India daily
Nepal has begun exporting approximately 400 megawatts of electricity to India daily. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started this export of surplus electricity last Monday night. The surge in electricity production is attributed to the onset of the monsoon season and rising temperatures, which have led to increased snowmelt in the Himalayas, according to the NEA. “Currently, Nepal is exporting around 400 megawatts of surplus electricity to India daily,” said Kul Man Ghising, the Managing Director of the NEA. “The authority aims to export between 1,000 to 1,200 megawatts of surplus electricity to the competitive market this year,” Ghising added.
Schools in Tulasipur sub-metropolis to close for five days due to heatwave
Schools in the Tulasipur Sub-Metropolitan City will remain closed for five days due to excessive heat. The closure will be in effect from May 31 to June 4, following reports of students facing health complications from the continuous rise in temperature. Man Bahadur Rawat, Coordinator of the Social Development Committee, announced that schools have been instructed to suspend teaching and learning activities during this period. Chakra Bahadur Bhandari, Chief of the Education Division of the Sub-Metropolitan City, mentioned that a meeting of the municipal education committee decided to close all community and institutional schools in Tulasipur after temperatures in the Dang district exceeded 39 degrees Celsius.
HoR Committee endorses bill to amend Constitutional Council Act
The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives has endorsed a Bill aimed at amending the Constitutional Council (Functions, Duties, Powers, and Procedures) Act-2066 BS. The Committee, chaired by Ramhari Khatiwada, passed the Bill with amendments during today’s meeting. The Bill had been pending for a long time due to a lack of consensus among political parties regarding the decision-making procedures of the Council. The Committee approved a provision allowing the Council to make decisions in meetings attended by the Council Chair and a 50 percent majority of the total members. The meeting also discussed the schedule, time, place, and presence of members at meetings. A new provision was endorsed, requiring the Secretary to inform members about the meeting date, time, and venue through a letter, which shall also be circulated digitally.
Temperature rises across the country, Kathmandu Valley experiences 33 degrees celsius
The temperature has sharply increased across the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley, making normal life difficult in Tarai districts. Pratibha Manandhar, a meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division, reported that the maximum temperature in the Kathmandu Valley reached 33 degrees Celsius today, indicating a continued increase over the past few days. While the monsoon season is still expected in Nepal, it has already reached India today. It is anticipated to take about a week to arrive in Nepal, during which temperatures are likely to rise further. In other regions, temperatures soared to 36.6 degrees Celsius in Dipayal, 41 degrees Celsius in Dhangadhi, 42.5 degrees Celsius in Sadepani of Kailali, 41.2 degrees Celsius in Nepalgunj, and 38.6 degrees Celsius in Bhairahawa today.
US Embassy rejects visa for Lamichhane once again
The US Embassy in Nepal has once again denied a visa to cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane. Earlier, following efforts by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to address the visa rejection of national cricket player Lamichhane by the US Embassy in Kathmandu, Lamichhane was summoned for an interview on Thursday afternoon. Reports indicate that the Embassy rejected Lamichhane’s visa, citing a low likelihood of his returning to Nepal. Lamichhane had been planning to travel to the USA and the West Indies to participate in the T-20 World Cup. However, while other members of the Nepali team have already flown abroad for the matches, Lamichhane’s plans have been halted by the visa denial.
Road Division directs KMC to reconstruct demolished roads at New Road within two days
The Road Division Office has instructed the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to complete the reconstruction of roads demolished in the New Road area within two days. The Office has also accused the KMC of demolishing the roads without obtaining proper permission. In a letter addressed to the KMC, the Office issued a directive to reconstruct the road from Juddha Statue to Indra Chowk within the specified timeframe. According to reports, the KMC had informed the Road Division Office about the demolition of the road section to extend the footpath before initiating the demolition. However, the Road Division maintains that although the notice was received, permission was not granted to proceed with the demolition.
Home Minister Lamichhane’s involvement in cooperative fraud case will be proven: Gagan Thapa
Gagan Thapa, General Secretary of the Nepali Congress (NC), has asserted that the party agreed with the decision not to include Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane’s name in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the probe panel after the government showed readiness to end the parliamentary session. In a video message posted on Thursday, Thapa stated that the party agreed to the terms after the government attempted to conclude the session. He claimed that the government was willing to end the parliamentary session to avoid forming a parliamentary probe committee to investigate the fraud case. Thapa emphasized that with the committee now formed to investigate the cooperative fraud case, it would address the party’s demands. He claimed there is evidence of Home Minister Lamichhane’s involvement in the cooperative fraud case, which he believes will be proven.
Storm in Kathmandu diverts flights to Janakpur and Bhairahawa
Kathmandu experienced strong winds and severe weather on Thursday evening, resulting in the diversion of flights to Janakpur and Bhairahawa. The thunderstorm caused the diversion of both domestic and international flights headed for Kathmandu. According to Subhash Jha, spokesperson for Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), several domestic flights bound for Kathmandu were diverted to other airports. Among these, a flight from Kathmandu to Jhapa and a flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu were diverted to Janakpur Airport. Additionally, a flight from Dhangadhi, originally scheduled to land at TIA, was diverted to Bhairahawa Airport.
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