KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Election Commission to use national ID card biometrics for voter registration
The Election Commission (EC) has decided to use biometric data collected during the preparation of national identity cards (NIDs) for registering names in the voter list. The move aims to simplify voter registration and address increasing pressure as the November 16 deadline approaches. The decision was made at a meeting between EC officials and the National Identity Card and Registration Department at Singha Durbar, following the initiative of Prime Minister Sushila Karki, said her Press Coordinator Ram Bahadur Rawal. Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari confirmed that technical preparations and testing were underway, with implementation set to begin immediately.
Outgoing IGP Khapung banned from foreign travel, requires permission to leave Valley
The Commission for the Investigation and Inquiry into the Gen-Z movement has written to outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandrakuber Khapung, prohibiting him from traveling abroad. The Commission’s ban on his foreign travel takes effect from today, Thursday, and he must obtain the Commission’s permission to leave the valley, said Commission member and spokesperson Bigyan Raj Sharma.
Impeachment motion filed against Madhesh Speaker Mandal; clash erupts inside provincial assembly secretariat
Seven political parties have filed an impeachment motion against Madhesh Province Speaker Ram Chandra Mandal, accusing him of misconduct and violating the dignity of his position. A total of 74 lawmakers from Nepali Congress, Maoist Centre, JSP Nepal, Janamat Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Unified Socialist, and Nagarik Unmukti Party registered the motion on Thursday. The decision came after a meeting of the seven parties in Janakpur concluded that Speaker Mandal had failed to remain neutral during the government formation process. The parties accused him of undermining the prestige of the provincial assembly by publicly stating that he was “ready to face impeachment.”
Tulsipur High Court orders retrieval of case file in Rabi Lamichhane cooperative fraud case
The Butwal bench of the High Court Tulsipur has ordered the retrieval of the case file in the ongoing legal proceedings against Rabi Lamichhane, chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and Chhabilal Joshi, former director of Gorkha Media and ex-Deputy Inspector General (DIG). The order was issued on Thursday by a two-judge bench comprising Judges Om Prakash Aryal and Basudev Acharya in the cooperative fraud case in which both are in custody. As a result, the possibility of immediate release for Lamichhane and Joshi has been delayed. Both are in jail for allegedly embezzling savings from Supreme Cooperative Society. Lamichhane is currently held at Nakkhu Jail in Lalitpur.
PM Karki expresses concern over sluggish spending, urges faster execution of government projects
Prime Minister Sushila Karki has expressed concern that the expenditure rate of most government agencies remains unsatisfactory, calling for urgent action to speed up project implementation. Addressing the first-trimester review meeting of fiscal year 2025/26 and the Ministerial Development Problem-Solving Committee on Thursday, PM Karki said the low spending trend has raised questions about the efficiency of public institutions.
Home Minister says interim government cannot afford to fail
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said that the interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki cannot afford to fail in its mandate to restore peace and conduct the upcoming national elections. Speaking before the National Concerns and Federalism Strengthening Committee of the National Assembly on Thursday, Minister Aryal presented a detailed report on the country’s current law and order situation and the government’s election preparations.
Alliance with Maoists and power-sharing with UML were Congress’ mistakes: Gagan Thapa
Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that the party is now paying the price for failing to make decisive interventions despite raising questions in time. Speaking at Thursday’s session of the ongoing Central Working Committee meeting, Thapa said both the decision to form an electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Centre) and to share power with the CPN-UML were serious mistakes.
Bishwa Prakash: Congress will become irrelevant if it fails to grasp Gen-Z movement’s message
Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has warned that the party will become increasingly irrelevant if it fails to understand the message of the Gen-Z movement. In a written statement presented at Thursday’s Central Working Committee meeting in Sanepa, Sharma said the Gen-Z movement is not an accidental outburst but the outcome of decades of frustration and inequality. “If Congress fails to grasp its essence, our very existence will come into question,” he said.
Election Commission holds discussion with political parties on upcoming National Assembly election
The Election Commission (EC) has held discussions with major political parties regarding the upcoming National Assembly election scheduled for January 25, 2026. The meeting, held at the EC’s central office in Kantipath, was attended by Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, other commissioners, and representatives from major political parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Centre). EC Secretary Mahadev Pantha said the Commission will announce the election program after consulting with the parties on technical preparations and legal requirements.
NC leader Paudel urges EC, govt to extend voter registration deadline
Nepali Congress leader Pradeep Paudel has urged the Election Commission (EC) and the government to extend the voter registration deadline, citing widespread complaints about long queues and slow service at registration centers. In a video statement released on Thursday, the former minister said that many citizens have been forced to return without registering due to delays. He demanded that the registration deadline, currently set to end by the end of Kartik (November 16), be extended to ensure everyone’s participation in the upcoming election.
Dan Bahadur Karki assumes role as Nepal Police IGP, receives ceremonial insignia
Newly appointed Nepal Police Inspector General (IGP) Dan Bahadur Karki has been formally honored with the ceremonial insignia of his office. The insignia was presented to him by Home Secretary Rameshwar Dangal at a special program held at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Karki officially took command of the Nepal Police on Thursday. He succeeds 32nd IGP Chandra Kuber Khapung, who retired on Wednesday after completing 30 years of service. The Council of Ministers had approved Karki’s appointment as IGP during its meeting on Monday.
Sudan Gurung warns elections cannot proceed until demands addressed
Gen-Z activist Sudan Gurung reached the Election Commission on Thursday to review initiatives aimed at resolving voter registration challenges. Gurung said Gen-Z youths are not fighting for the elections themselves but are challenging injustices prevalent in the country. He warned that the upcoming elections should not be conducted until the movement’s demands are fully addressed.
Sudan Gurung holds Home Minister Aryal responsible for unfulfilled demands
Gen-Z activist Sudan Gurung has stated that Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal must take responsibility for addressing the demands of the Gen-Z movement. Gurung warned that without these demands being met, the upcoming elections cannot proceed effectively. Gurung, who recently reached the site to dismantle the structure built by Khadka Land Pvt. Ltd on Nepal Scouts’ land, also raised suspicions about Minister Aryal’s past roles. He claimed that Aryal was present with them at Army Headquarters and had been introduced as a constitutional expert at the President’s Office.
Gen-Z movement: Five arrested for vandalism and arson in Hetauda
Police have arrested five individuals accused of involvement in incidents of vandalism and arson during the recent Gen-Z movement in Hetauda. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pushkar Bogati, those taken into custody include 27-year-old Poonam Thakur, 27-year-old Pramod Mahato, and 43-year-old Sagar Ghatane of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-8. They are accused of setting fire to and vandalizing the Bagmati Provincial Assembly Secretariat building and the District Traffic Police Office.
35 industries pay Rs 238.7 million of electricity arrears from dedicated and trunk lines
A total of 35 industries that consumed electricity through dedicated and trunk line connections during load-shedding have started clearing their premium electricity arrears, with 25 new industries paying the first installment and 10 industries continuing previous partial payments, according to the Secretariat of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Kulman Ghising.
Energy Minister Ghising thanks industrialists as power dues recovery shows progress
Energy Minister Kulman Ghising has expressed gratitude to industrialists and stakeholders as efforts to recover outstanding electricity dues have started yielding tangible results.
Man killed after being hit by vehicle of Maoist leader Indra Bahadur Angbo
A man died after being hit by a vehicle belonging to Maoist leader and Koshi Province Parliamentary Party leader Indra Bahadur Angbo on Thursday morning. The accident occurred at Kakharmari in Gramthan-5 along the Ghinaghat–Biratchowk road section, when an SUV (Province 1 Ja 650) carrying Angbo’s secretariat member Poojan Magranti struck Pravesh Chaudhary, a local resident of Gramthan, police said.
Home Minister, IGP meet injured Gen-Z protesters, representatives
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal and newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Bahadur Karki jointly met with two individuals injured during the Gen-Z protest and representatives of the movement on Thursday at the Home Ministry. The meeting followed IGP Karki’s ceremonial conferring of the police chief insignia by Home Secretary Rameshwar Dangal. During the meeting, the injured individuals requested proper treatment and urged the government and police to address the legitimate demands of the Gen-Z movement.
Injured Gen-Z youths provide biometric data from hospital for voter ID registration
Gen-Z youths injured during the recent protests have provided their biometric details from hospital beds to register for voter identification cards ahead of the upcoming elections. According to the Election Commission, the injured individuals were unable to travel to their home districts, prompting the commission to send mobile equipment to the Trauma Center in Kathmandu to collect their biometric data.
Nepal Premier League to air on Nepali TV channels for the first time
The Nepal Premier League (NPL) will now be broadcast on Nepali television channels as well. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), which aired the first season of the league exclusively on Star Sports, has decided to include Nepali channels for the live broadcast of the second season.
Nepali Embassy warns against fraud as Portugal suspends working visas
The Nepali Embassy in Portugal has urged Nepalis living in Nepal and the Middle East to remain cautious and avoid falling victim to scams promising working visas to Portugal. In a press release issued Wednesday evening, the Embassy highlighted that the Portuguese government has suspended all types of working visas, except for highly skilled jobs, effective October 23, 2025.
Four ambassadors present credentials to President Paudel
Four newly appointed ambassadors to Nepal presented their credentials to President Ram Chandra Paudel on Thursday. Those presenting their credentials included Sherif Moustafa Alsayed of Egypt, Dagny Mjos of Norway, Ruwanthi Delpitiya of Sri Lanka, and Uthant Sin of Myanmar.
World Bank projects Nepal’s economic growth to slow amid political transition
The World Bank (WB) has projected a slowdown in Nepal’s economic growth amid recent unrest and heightened political and economic uncertainty. According to the WB’s latest Nepal Development Update (November 2025), the country’s real GDP growth is expected to drop to 2.1 percent in FY26 under the baseline scenario, with a possible range of 1.5 to 2.6 percent. The report noted that poverty rates (at USD 4.2/day) are slightly higher than earlier projections, reaching 6.6 percent in FY26 and 5.9 percent in FY27, compared to previous forecasts of 6.2 percent and 5.4 percent.
NEPSE goes up despite 124 companies seeing red
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) closed marginally higher on the last trading day of the week, even as the share prices of 124 companies declined. A total of Rs 3.49 billion worth of shares were traded today, with the NEPSE index rising by a modest 1.13 points to close at 2,544.73 points.
Gold price surges past Rs 250,000 per tola again
The price of gold has once again surpassed Rs 250,000 per tola. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of fine gold has been fixed at Rs 250,200 per tola for Thursday, marking an increase of Rs 5,900 compared to the previous day’s rate of Rs 244,300. In the international market, the price of gold rose above USD 4,200 per ounce on Thursday. The record high so far has been USD 4,381 per ounce.
UNIPHIN submits memorandum to Health Minister on irregularities in private hospitals
The Union of Professional Health and Care Sector Workers in Nepal (UNIPHIN) has submitted a memorandum to Health and Population Minister Dr. Sudha Sharma, raising concerns over growing irregularities and malpractice in private hospitals and medical colleges across Nepal. UNIFIN representatives highlighted issues including arbitrary fee collection, lack of trained personnel, labor exploitation, contract-based staffing, low salaries, and insufficient benefits.
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