KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Top leaders’ meeting postponed again
A high-level meeting among the top leaders of Nepal’s three major political parties, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has been postponed once again.
The meeting, which was scheduled to take place at 2 pm today at the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office in Singha Durbar, was called off due to unspecified reasons, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
Initially planned for Wednesday, the meeting was postponed to Thursday afternoon at 3 pm after CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was out of Kathmandu. However, the time was later revised again to 2 pm today, only to be postponed once more.
New U.S. guidelines make social media screening mandatory for student visas
The United States has introduced a new policy requiring international student visa applicants to undergo interviews and disclose their social media details as part of a broader effort to strengthen security screening.
Applicants must provide full transparency about their social media usage, views, and personal information. U.S. immigration authorities will evaluate applicants’ perspectives on American government, culture, and institutions before deciding on visa approvals.
This guideline applies specifically to the F-1 visa category, which is the most commonly used visa by international students. However, the policy will also affect M visas (for vocational students) and J visas (used by exchange program participants).
RSP lawmakers sit cross-legged in parliament, silently reading books in protest
As discussions continue in the House of Representatives over the Appropriation Bill 2025, lawmakers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) staged a silent protest by reading books while seated cross-legged inside the parliament chamber on Thursday.
The House meeting, which is currently debating ministry-wise headings under the budget bill, saw participation from both ruling and opposition party lawmakers.
However, RSP legislators, who have been demanding the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and a parliamentary probe into the controversial visit visa scandal, took a different approach in today’s session.
Nepal Student Union protests irregularities in NOC process
The Nepal Student Union (NSU) has raised serious concerns over irregularities in the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process required for foreign studies, accusing consultancies of exploiting students and parents under the government’s watch.
In a statement issued on Thursday by NSU spokesperson Suraj Sejuwal, the student wing demanded the immediate shutdown of consultancies involved in illegal practices and called for strict action against those responsible.
The union criticized the Ministry of Education for failing to regulate the sector and condemned the government’s silence in the face of growing complaints from students and their families.
IT companies allowed to invest up to 50% of foreign earnings abroad
Nepali information technology (IT) companies that earn foreign currency through service exports will now be allowed to invest a portion of their earnings abroad. Nepal Rastra Bank has made this provision by introducing the fourth amendment to the “Foreign Investment and Foreign Loan Management Regulations, 2021.”
According to the new rule, IT companies can invest up to 50% of the average foreign currency they earned by exporting IT-related services in the past three fiscal years, or up to USD 1 million (or its equivalent in foreign currency) — whichever is lower.
This move is aimed at promoting global expansion for Nepali IT firms. The government, in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, has also offered additional incentives — including income tax exemptions and a 75% tax discount on income generated from IT service exports.
Both judges who acquitted Alam transferred to Supreme Court for investigation
The two High Court judges who acquitted Nepali Congress leader Mohammad Aftab Alam in a high-profile murder case have been transferred to the Supreme Court for investigation.
Justices Khusi Prasad Tharu and Arjun Maharjan of the Birgunj bench under the High Court Janakpur had overturned a previous life imprisonment verdict against Alam. Following public outrage and a formal complaint, the Judicial Council initiated action and reassigned both judges to the Supreme Court, barring them from handling any further cases during the investigation.
Their controversial ruling had reversed the decision of the Rautahat District Court, which had sentenced Alam to life imprisonment on Baisakh 13, 2081 BS. He was released from Nakkhu prison the same evening but reportedly suffered a severe stroke shortly afterward.
High Court orders government not to arrest journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak
The Patan High Court has issued an interim order directing the government not to arrest journalist Dil Bhusan Pathak.
The order comes in response to a complaint filed by the Cyber Bureau alleging cybercrime against Pathak, following the release of a video on his YouTube channel Tough Talk Explainer. The video reportedly linked former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, current Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, and their son Jaiveer Singh Deuba to investments in the Hilton Hotel.
The court emphasized that affected individuals have the option of filing complaints with the Press Council Nepal and decided to extend an earlier short-term interim order protecting Pathak from arrest.
Bharat Jangam files complaint demanding deletion of news about his arrest
Cooperative operator Bharat Mani Jangam has filed a complaint with the Press Council Nepal against 19 media outlets, demanding deletion of news reports related to his past arrest.
Jangam, who was arrested on charges of cooperative fraud on Poush 7 and released on Poush 9, claims that the news coverage has defamed his character. In his complaint, he states that as a 78-year-old senior citizen and anti-corruption campaigner with no criminal history, the news has unfairly raised questions about his integrity.
According to the Journalist Code of Conduct, individuals dissatisfied with published content have 35 days to request corrections or rebuttals. Although the complaint period has lapsed, the Press Council has the discretion to accept complaints beyond the deadline if justified. Jangam submitted his request nearly six months after the reports were published.
Gold traders suspend strike but threaten nationwide protest if demands ignored
Gold and silver traders have decided to temporarily suspend their ongoing protests.
A joint national assembly of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association and the Federation of Nepal Gold, Silver, Gem and Jewellery Associations held on Wednesday announced the suspension of the agitation.
Despite the government not addressing their demands, traders have agreed to reopen their shops starting Thursday in Kathmandu and across Bagmati Province, which had remained closed for the past few days as part of their protest.
Corruption case filed against former Director Thakur and seven others; embezzlement exceeds Rs 17.5 million
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court against Balram Thakur, former Executive Director of the Greater Janakpur Area Development Council, along with seven others. The case accuses them of embezzling over Rs 17.5 million (Rs 17,567,000).
Among those charged alongside Thakur are the Council’s accountant Sabitri Giri, administrative officer Chiranjivi Raj Sharma Dhungana, computer officer Krishna Murari Singh, driver Bikki Kumar Chaudhary, consumer committee chair Bijay Kumar Yadav, treasurer Babita Devi Sah, contractor Jitendra Kumar Yadav, and Thakur’s wife Indulekha Kumari Thakur.
Thakur served as the Council’s executive director from Mangsir 5, 2075 to Mangsir 4, 2079. His tenure was marked by reports of widespread corruption involving misuse of funds and forgery of official seals and signatures.
Kathmandu Mayor backtracks on committee reshuffle amid mounting pressure
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has reversed his own controversial decision to strip four ward chairs of their committee responsibilities, following sustained pressure from elected representatives and internal resistance.
Earlier, Mayor Shah had unilaterally removed ward chairs Asaram Sangat, Macharaja Maharjan, Khyamraj Tiwari, and Nabin Manandhar from their roles in key municipal committees — heritage and tourism, legislation, good governance, and information technology, respectively — assigning the positions to other ward chairs without convening an executive meeting.
The move drew sharp backlash from those affected, who accused Shah of acting arbitrarily and warned him against bypassing the municipal executive body in such decisions.
KMC Police Chief Raju Nath Pandey returns to office
Raju Nath Pandey, the Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police, returned to work on Thursday following a court order temporarily halting his suspension.
The High Court Patan on Wednesday issued an interim order instructing authorities not to enforce the suspension decision against Pandey.
The order was issued by a joint bench of Judges Rishi Raj Bhandari and Dilli Ratna Shrestha.
Floods and landslides disrupt six highways across Nepal
Heavy rains have triggered landslides and floods across several regions of Nepal, obstructing major highways at six locations and limiting traffic to one-way operation in at least five other areas, according to Nepal Police Headquarters.
Araniko Highway has been completely blocked at Kodari, Larcha, and Koplang in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality due to multiple landslides. Likewise, the Mahendra Highway is at a standstill in Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality-1 of Nawalparasi Bardaghat Susta East, where floodwaters have inundated the road, stranding passengers and creating a long queue of vehicles.
In Myagdi district, a landslide at Rupse in Annapurna Rural Municipality-3 has obstructed the Beni-Jomsom road, while in Dolpa, floodwaters have completely blocked the Bheri Corridor at Chhalghat, Tripurasundari Municipality-1.
Nepal spends nearly 20% of annual budget on public debt repayment
According to a report published by the Public Debt Management Office, the government has spent nearly one-fifth of its revised annual budget on servicing public debt in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year 2024/25.
By the end of Jestha (mid-June), the government paid a total of Rs 329.60 billion in principal and interest on both domestic and external debt. This amount accounts for 19.46 percent of the revised budget of Rs 1.692 trillion for the ongoing fiscal year.
Public debt includes liabilities raised through internal and external borrowing and the corresponding obligations created from it. According to the office, this repayment consists of Rs 266.65 billion paid in principal and Rs 62.95 billion paid in interest over the 11-month period.
MP Amar Bahadur Thapa tears budget book in Parliament
Unified Socialist lawmaker Amar Bahadur Thapa tore a copy of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget book during Thursday’s session of the House of Representatives.
Thapa said he tore the book in protest, claiming that the allocation for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure — and the overall budget — failed to address the needs of the people.
“The budget for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure does not serve the people of Dailekh or many other regions,” he said. “This budget fails to fulfill its responsibility to the people who contribute revenue. I tore the book after taking permission to do so.”
Unified Socialist MP tells govt not to bow to bureaucratic pressure over Civil Service Bill
CPN (Unified Socialist) lawmaker Rajendra Pandey on Thursday urged the government not to succumb to pressure from senior bureaucrats regarding the Civil Service Bill, particularly over the controversial provision of a “cooling-off period.”
Speaking at the House of Representatives, Pandey alleged that high-ranking civil servants had threatened to collectively resign if the government did not remove the cooling-off period clause from the proposed bill. Despite such pressure, he stressed, the government must stand firm and move ahead with the legislation.
“I have heard that recently, senior bureaucrats have been pressuring the honourable Prime Minister and threatening mass resignations to get the cooling-off period scrapped. This is unacceptable,” Pandey said. “Mr. Speaker, the government must not retreat. The bill should be tabled immediately.”
Rastriya Swatantra Party to mark third anniversary with nationwide campaign
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has announced that it will celebrate its third founding anniversary on June 21 with a nationwide campaign under the slogan “In Parliament and on the Streets: For the Abolition of Kleptocracy and the Promotion of Civilized Politics.”
A meeting of the party’s secretariat on Wednesday finalized a nine-point decision plan for the occasion, including a Central Committee meeting at the party’s central office in Kathmandu on the day of the anniversary.
The party’s leadership will also engage in public and parliamentary events aimed at reinforcing its political agenda.
Maoist objects to removal of Federal Civil Service Bill from parliamentary agenda
The main opposition party, CPN (Maoist Centre), has expressed strong objection to the removal of the Federal Civil Service Bill from the House of Representatives’ agenda.
During Thursday’s House session, Maoist Centre Chief Whip Hit Raj Pandey criticized the government for withdrawing the bill from the agenda despite it having been listed in earlier sessions.
He highlighted the bill’s significance and urged the government to immediately bring it back into the parliamentary schedule for discussion and passage.
Lawmakers demand reversal of sugarcane subsidy cancellation
Lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday strongly objected to the government’s decision to cancel the longstanding subsidy provided to sugarcane farmers, urging the government to immediately reverse the move.
Speaking during Zero Hour, several members expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s plan to discontinue the Rs. 70 per quintal production subsidy starting from the upcoming fiscal year.
COVID-19 risk persists at border checkpoints
The risk of COVID-19 remains a concern at the border checkpoints in the Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal, which are connected to India.
On Wednesday, a resident of Bardiya who had returned from Haldwani, India, via the Gaddachauki checkpoint on the western border, tested positive for COVID-19 and is now receiving treatment in isolation at Mahakali Provincial Hospital, Mahendranagar.
His condition was reported to be serious at the time of arrival. The positive result was confirmed through an antigen test conducted at the health desk at the border.
Spike in Covid cases reported across Nepal as weather shifts
With changing weather conditions across Nepal, health authorities have begun to notice a rise in patients exhibiting symptoms of Covid and other seasonal infections such as cold, cough, fever, and flu.
According to Dr. Chandra Bhatt, Director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), although the number of Covid cases at Nepal’s border points has recently declined, isolated infections continue to emerge—especially among those entering from India.
In the far-western border district of Kanchanpur, several returnees from India have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks.
Land ownership certificates issued to Chulachuli residents
The joy of 65-year-old Bhakta Bahadur Fago from Chulachuli-5 was unmistakable, as he stood proudly on the premises of the Chulachuli Rural Municipality office, holding his long-awaited land ownership certificate (Lalpurja).
A landless farmer since birth, Fago finally received legal ownership of the land he had occupied for decades.
“The wait of many years is finally over,” he said with emotion. “For poor people like us, owning land was only a dream. Today, that dream has come true.”
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