KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Finance Minister and Pokhara Mayor injured in balloon burst incident
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya sustained minor injuries when a balloon burst during the Pokhara Tourism Year announcement ceremony.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when Minister Paudel pressed a switch to release balloons, which were positioned close to an electric light.
The heat from the light caused the balloons to burst, triggering sparks.
Minister Paudel’s coat briefly caught fire, while Mayor Acharya sustained minor burns on his cheek. He was immediately taken to the hospital for medical attention.
Ruling parties agree on early endorsement of ordinances
The top leaders of the ruling parties have agreed to endorse the recently issued ordinances from both Houses of the federal parliament at the earliest.
The meeting of the ruling coalition convened at the official residence of Prime Minister today decided on the same, informed Minister for Home Affairs, Ramesh Lekhak.
The meeting also decided to accelerate the procedural works regarding the passage of the bills without any delay, Minister Lekhak added.
Kathmandu becomes the most polluted city in the world
Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu Valley, has been ranked the most polluted city in the world. According to air quality measurements by Swiss company IQAir, Kathmandu reached the top spot on Saturday evening.
At present, Kathmandu’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) is 175, which falls under the unhealthy category. In Lalitpur’s Jawalakhel, the AQI has reached 213, marking the air pollution level as very unhealthy.
Following Kathmandu, Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ranks second on the list of the world’s most polluted cities. Other cities in the top 10 include Wuhan and Shanghai in China, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Yangon in Myanmar, Hanoi in Vietnam, Delhi in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guangzhou in China.
Govt to form task force to discuss land ordinance
The government has decided to form a task force to deliberate on the land ordinance, following disagreements among ruling coalition members over its support.
During a meeting of top leaders at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Saturday, an agreement was reached to form the task force and bring the ordinance as a replacement.
Abdul Khan, Vice-Chair of the ruling coalition partner Janmat Party, stated that while discussions will continue on the land ordinance, the other five ordinances will be tabled in Parliament for a decision as soon as possible.
More questions arise over Pathibhara cable car deal
A controversial agreement signed during the tenure of then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in 2019 regarding the Pathibhara Devi Darshan Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. has resurfaced, raising legal and ethical concerns over the transfer of national forest land for private development.
At the time, the Oli government approved the use of 4.79 hectares of national forest in the Pathibhara-Mukkumlung area for 30 years, granting the rights to Yeti World led by Lakpa Sonam Sherpa, the brother of late tourism entrepreneur Ang Tshering Sherpa. However, today, Chandra Dhakal is leading the construction of the cable car instead of Sherpa, raising questions about the legality of the transfer.
Surbana Group eyes investment opportunities in Nepal
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held discussions with a delegation from Surbana Jurong Group, one of Asia’s leading investment organizations, to explore opportunities for expanding investment in Nepal’s infrastructure and urban development.
During the meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar, Sarvana Jurong CEO Sean Chiao expressed the company’s interest in identifying and investing in projects related to energy, tourism, railways, tunnels, smart cities, and expressways.
The Singapore-based firm, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings—Singapore’s state-owned global investment agency—has already established an office in Nepal and begun preliminary operations.
Nepali UN peacekeeper injured in attack in Lebanon
A vehicle carrying UN peacekeepers, including Major General Chok Bahadur Dhakal of the Nepali Army, was attacked in Beirut, Lebanon. Dhakal, who serves as the Deputy Force Commander of the UN Peacekeeping Force, sustained injuries in the incident.
According to the Nepali Army Directorate of Public Relations and Information, Major General Dhakal was immediately taken to a UN Level-3 hospital for treatment and is now out of danger.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed shock over the attack, stating that the peacekeepers have been working to maintain security and stability in South Lebanon.
Women’s representation limited to proportional quota in Karnali Province
A report by the Karnali Foundation has revealed that women in Karnali Province have only been elected to the Provincial Assembly through proportional representation, with no female candidates winning seats through direct elections.
Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Chair of the Karnali Foundation, stated that despite two terms of the Provincial Assembly, political parties have not directly nominated any women candidates.
“The 33 percent quota for women has made their proportional representation possible, but their presence in key decision-making roles remains minimal,” he said.
Bharatpur Metropolitan City tops national performance evaluation for third consecutive year
Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been ranked as the best-performing municipality in Nepal, according to the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission’s latest evaluation results.
The city emerged as the top municipality, surpassing six other metropolitan cities across the country.
This marks the third consecutive year that Bharatpur has secured the top spot, including the current fiscal year.
SAARC-level cancer conference begins in Birtamode
Around 350 oncologists from seven South Asian countries have gathered in Birtamode for the ‘Purbanchal Cancer Conference-2025’, which kicked off on Friday.
Inaugurating the event, Prof Dr Madan Kumar Piya, founding president of the SAARC Federation of Oncologists Nepal, emphasized the role of new technology and public awareness in cancer treatment and prevention.
He highlighted that cancer can affect all parts of the human body except nails and hair and urged the media to promote the message that cancer is a conquerable disease.
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