KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Maoist Centre sticks to demand for Home Minister’s resignation: Top leaders’ meeting
During a meeting of top leaders of the three major parties held at Singha Durbar, the main opposition party, CPN (Maoist Centre), reiterated its demand for the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak over the ongoing visit visa controversy.
Maoist MP Hit Raj Pandey, who participated in the discussion held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, said his party insisted that the Home Minister must step down to allow for an impartial investigation into the issue.
Parliament sessions have been repeatedly disrupted by the Maoist Centre and other opposition lawmakers, demanding Lekhak’s resignation.
Top leaders united against royalists fail to reach consensus on reopening Parliament
The main opposition party, CPN (Maoist Centre), has reiterated its stance that Parliament cannot resume unless Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigns over his alleged involvement in the visit visa controversy.
Chief Whip of the Maoist Centre, Hit Raj Pandey, said that during a meeting of top leaders of the three major parties held at Singha Durbar at the initiative of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, his party maintained its previous demands.
“It was only a discussion today. The ruling side, including the Prime Minister, expressed the view that Parliament must be reopened. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also said the same — that Parliament should resume, not that he would resign,” Pandey said. “We focused on issues of good governance. We clearly stated that we demand a resignation and that our position remains unchanged.”
Candlelight held in memory of King Birendra’s family; Himani and Hridayendra attend
A candlelight tribute was organized at the Ganesh Temple in Kamaladi to honor the late King Birendra and his family.
Former Crown Princess Himani Shah and former Prince Hridayendra Shah were present at the temple for the ceremony.
Supporters chanted slogans and raised cheers as the two entered the temple premises.
PM Oli says Prachanda avoided contact, but Prachanda holds talks with Deuba
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed frustration that Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is unwilling to engage in dialogue with him despite repeated attempts to resolve the ongoing parliamentary deadlock.
Although Prachanda has been in Kathmandu for the past week after pausing his Mid-Hill Highway campaign, he has reportedly refused to respond to the prime minister’s efforts to establish contact. On Monday, while the CPN-UML was holding its parliamentary party meeting at Lhotse Hall of the Federal Parliament Building, Prachanda was meeting with Maoist lawmakers to strategize for Tuesday’s House session.
During the UML meeting, PM Oli expressed disappointment, stating, “I tried to talk to Maoist Centre leader Prachanda to resume regular parliamentary proceedings from tomorrow, but he deliberately avoided contact. It seems they are in the mood to block the House instead of engaging in dialogue. This can’t continue — Parliament cannot be held hostage over such issues.”
CIAA files corruption case against former Sudurpaschim Chief Minister Sodari
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against former Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province, Dirgha Bahadur Sodari.
The case has been filed at the Special Court against Sodari, who also leads the Sudurpaschim Province parliamentary party of the opposition CPN (Samajwadi).
He has been accused of amassing illegal wealth amounting to Rs 10.838 million.
Newly appointed non-resident ambassadors from six countries present credentials to President Paudel
President Ram Chandra Paudel on Monday received the letters of credence from newly appointed non-resident ambassadors of six countries to Nepal.
In separate official ceremonies held at the President’s Office, Shital Niwas, the ambassadors of Uruguay, Denmark, Zimbabwe, Jordan, and Kenya submitted their credentials, according to the Office of the President.
Those presenting their credentials included Munyiri Peter of Kenya, Yousuf Abdelghani of Jordan, Stella Nkomo Wahagan of Zimbabwe, Rasmus Abildgaard of Denmark, and Alberto A. Guani of Uruguay.
Pokhara Mayor asks transport operators to end strike
Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya has appealed to public transport operators to end their ongoing strike and pursue dialogue and cooperation to resolve the dispute that has disrupted life in the city for several days.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mayor Acharya said any solution must be sought within the framework of existing laws and regulations. He called on agitating transport entrepreneurs to act responsibly and engage in discussion and consensus rather than continuing with disruptive protests.
“Pokhara is Nepal’s tourism capital,” the mayor noted in the statement, “and it is unfortunate that tourists—both domestic and international—are being negatively affected by strikes, vehicle stand-offs, and unruly behavior.”
Home Minister begins talks with transport operators over ride sharing dispute
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has started talks with transport operators after they launched an indefinite nationwide strike from Monday. The protest began in response to the government’s move to allow ride-sharing and self-drive services.
The Home Minister’s private secretariat confirmed that discussions are currently taking place at the ministry with his direct participation.
The strike, called by the ‘Public Transport Protection Central Struggle Committee’, has forced public vehicles across the country to stay parked in garages. This has caused major difficulties for daily commuters, with many unable to reach work or essential services.
InDrive drivers penalized for overcharging passengers in Pokhara
Several drivers using the InDrive ride-sharing app have been taken into custody by the District Police Office, Kaski, for charging passengers fares higher than legally permitted.
According to police, the incident occurred on the evening of June 1, around 8 pm, after a complaint was received that an InDrive driver had charged an excessive fare.
Following the complaint, a police team was deployed, and during inspection at various locations, eight vehicles along with several drivers were detained.
Nationwide transport strike over ride-sharing dispute
Public transport services across the country came to a halt on Monday after transport entrepreneurs launched a nationwide strike in protest against ride-sharing regulations.
The strike, called by the Central Struggle Committee to ‘Save Public Transport’, has led to public transport vehicles remaining parked in garages since early morning. The committee has announced an indefinite shutdown until their demands are addressed.
Bhim Jwala Rai, President of the Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Organization, confirmed that the strike was being observed nationwide in response to the committee’s call.
Petroleum imports worth Rs 155 billion through Birgunj border in 10 months
Petroleum products worth Rs 155.94 billion have been imported through the Birgunj border in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.
The imports include diesel, petrol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), aviation turbine fuel (ATF), and kerosene.
Compared to the same period last fiscal year, the total import value of all five petroleum products decreased by Rs 1.35 billion, or 0.86 percent.
Gold prices up by Rs 1,000 per tola
The price of gold increased by Rs 1,000 per tola on Monday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of gold has reached Rs 189,800 per tola, up from Rs 188,800 the previous day.
Silver has also gone up by Rs 5 per tola, reaching Rs 1,990, compared to Rs 1,985 on Sunday.
Nepal Police operate free bus service in Kathmandu
With public transport halted due to a nationwide strike by transport entrepreneurs, Nepal Police has started operating free bus services in the Kathmandu Valley to help the general public.
The Police Headquarters stated that the buses are running from Naxal and covering several areas within Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur.
One of the buses travels through Baluwatar, Maharajgunj, New Buspark, Swayambhu, Kalanki, Balkhu, Satdobato, Lagankhel, Jawalakhel, Thapathali, Maitighar, Putalisadak, and Jai Nepal Hall.
Former President Bhandari returns from China, terms visit ‘productive’
Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari returned to Nepal on Monday morning after completing a week-long visit to China, leading a 15-member delegation that included CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Raghubir Mahaseth, leader Karna Bahadur Thapa, and Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies Damodar Bhandari.
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, the former president briefly described her visit as “successful and productive” but refrained from elaborating on the nature of high-level meetings held during her stay.
She also did not comment on growing speculation about a potential push for communist unity or her possible return to active politics under the CPN-UML’s leadership.
Commuters cry foul as ride-sharing drivers hike fares amid transport strike
As the nationwide protest by transport entrepreneurs paralyzes public transportation, commuters are voicing frustration over soaring fares charged by ride-sharing services.
With regular buses and microvans off the roads due to the strike against Gandaki Province’s newly introduced ride-sharing law, many people have turned to digital ride-hailing platforms for mobility. However, instead of relief, many riders say they’ve encountered price gouging and unethical practices.
Multiple commuters report that some ride-sharing drivers are bypassing the platforms entirely, refusing to take requests via apps and instead picking up passengers informally while charging inflated fares. These “offline” rides, users say, often lack fare transparency and safety tracking features.
Agreement reached to end nationwide transport strike
Following a nationwide transport strike opposing the legalization of ride-sharing services from the federal to provincial levels, an agreement was reached between transport entrepreneurs and the government on Monday.
The strike was sparked after the Gandaki Province government initiated the drafting of a law to formally regulate ride-sharing services. The Central Struggle Committee to Protect Public Transport led the shutdown of transport services across the country on Monday, severely disrupting daily life and forcing the Home Ministry to call for talks.
After the negotiations, a committee was formed under the coordination of the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. The committee includes representatives from various ministries as well as transport entrepreneurs and labor organizations.
Transport operators vow to continue strike despite formation of negotiation committee
Public transport operators protesting against the ride-sharing guidelines introduced by the Gandaki Province government have decided to continue their strike, even after agreeing to form a negotiation committee.
A meeting between Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and leaders of the Central Struggle Committee to Save Public Transport, held Monday morning at the Ministry of Home Affairs, resulted in an agreement to form an 11-member negotiation team comprising four representatives from transport entrepreneurs and workers, and seven from various government ministries.
The committee is expected to begin talks immediately. However, the struggle committee clarified that the strike will continue until a concrete outcome is reached.
Nepali Congress denounces unconstitutional attempts to undermine constitution
Nepali Congress denounces unconstitutional attempts to undermine constitution
The Congress statement comes in response to increasing street protests led by groups such as the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and other royalist and pro-Hindu state factions, who have been demanding the reinstatement of monarchy and declaration of Nepal as a Hindu state.
The Nepali Congress asserted that any actions taken beyond the constitutional framework are both inappropriate and unconstitutional. “This is not a constitution handed down by anyone; it is a constitution created by the people of Nepal themselves, through their elected representatives,” Mahat said. “Therefore, it is our responsibility to protect this constitution.”
PM Oli instructs UML lawmakers to counter opposition arguments with facts and data
Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has directed party lawmakers to counter opposition arguments with facts and data during parliamentary discussions on the national budget.
Speaking at a UML parliamentary party meeting held at Lhotse Hall of the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwar, Oli emphasized the need for members to present well-reasoned arguments in support of the budget.
“From tomorrow, discussions on the budget will begin. Honorable members must clearly explain why the budget is justified. The opposition will present misleading arguments designed to shake our confidence,” Oli said. “We must firmly and logically refute those arguments with facts and statistics.”
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