KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Former President Bhandari to make public statement Friday after UML blocks her return
Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari is set to make a formal public statement on Friday after CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli blocked her return to the party, despite her having already renewed her party membership. Bhandari will address a press conference at Karki Banquet in Babarmahal, Kathmandu, at 3 PM on Friday to clarify her position. The UML Central Committee, which held a three-day meeting starting July 20, decided to revoke Bhandari’s general membership and bar her from reentering active politics within the party.
RSP, RPP continue protest in House demanding probe into visit visa scandal
Lawmakers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) once again disrupted proceedings in the House of Representatives on Thursday, pressing for a high-level investigation into the ongoing visit visa scandal. As soon as the parliamentary session began, lawmakers from both parties stood up in protest, reiterating their demand for an independent high-level probe committee. The two parties have been staging continuous protests in the House over the past several days. During the protest, Speaker Devraj Ghimire allowed RSP lawmaker Dr. Toshima Karki to speak. Karki accused the current government of attempting to govern in an authoritarian manner. She criticized the administration for jailing those who stand up for the people while rewarding individuals implicated in corruption.
Govt moves to amend laws governing citizen investment and employee provident funds
The government is set to amend the Citizen Investment Trust Act, 1990 and the Employee Provident Fund Act, 1962 in a bid to expand investment avenues and provide affordable housing for government employees. According to the Ministry of Finance, the proposed amendments aim to address longstanding structural limitations and implement commitments made in the current fiscal year’s budget. The changes also reflect recommendations made by the High-Level Economic Reform Recommendation Commission.The Ministry has issued a public notice seeking feedback on the draft bills prepared to revise both laws. In accordance with Section 6(2) of the Legislative Act 2024, the ministry has asked concerned stakeholders to submit suggestions via email to [email protected] within 10 days of the notice’s publication.
RPP faces internal turmoil as top leaders clash over dismissals
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is once again gripped by infighting, with the internal power struggle showing no signs of easing. Tensions have intensified following party chair Rajendra Lingden’s decision to relieve senior leaders Nawaraj Subedi, Mukunda Shyam Giri, and Sagunsundar Lawati of their responsibilities. While General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana and several other leaders have openly rallied against Lingden, Senior Vice Chair Rabindra Mishra, who recently spent 49 days in police custody over allegations related to a deadly protest in Kathmandu, has remained conspicuously silent.
President sends Constitutional Council Bill back for review
President Ram Chandra Paudel has returned the Constitutional Council (Duties, Functions, Powers, and Procedures) Act (Amendment) Bill to the House of Representatives for reconsideration, following pressure from lawmakers of the ruling Nepali Congress. According to the President’s Press Advisor Kiran Pokharel, the President sent the bill back on Thursday, citing concerns that the proposed amendments contradict the spirit of the Constitution, democratic norms and values, and global practices. President Paudel returned the bill in accordance with Article 113 (3) of the Constitution, which grants the head of state the authority to request Parliament to review legislation deemed inconsistent with constitutional principles.
Rukumkot designated as administrative center of Eastern Rukum; cabinet makes 13 decisions
The federal government has designated Rukumkot, located in Wards 5 and 6 of Sisne Rural Municipality, as the administrative center (district headquarters) of Eastern Rukum. The decision was made during the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, July 23. With this, the long-standing dispute over the location of the district headquarters in Eastern Rukum has been resolved. According to Minister for Communication and Information Technology and government spokesperson Prithvi Subba Gurung, the Cabinet made a total of 13 decisions during Monday’s meeting.
Government moves to amend laws of two funds to expand investment and provide affordable housing to employees
The government is preparing to amend the Citizen Investment Trust Act, 1991 and the Employees Provident Fund Act, 1962. The primary objective of these amendments is to provide affordable land and housing to government employees and to expand the investment scope of both funds. According to the Ministry of Finance, the proposed amendments are based on recommendations made by the High-Level Economic Reform Recommendation Commission, commitments made in the current fiscal year’s budget speech, and the need to resolve practical challenges encountered under the existing legal provisions. A draft of the amendment bill has already been prepared, and the Ministry has called for public feedback in accordance with Section 6(2) of the Legislative Act, 2024. Suggestions on the draft can be submitted to the Financial Sector Management and Institution Coordination Division of the Ministry via email at [email protected] within 10 days of the notice’s publication.
TIA expansion gains pace, 60% of taxiway construction completed
The only running international airport in Nepal operating at full capacity, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), is undergoing rapid expansion, with 60 percent of the new taxiway already completed, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). To update the public and press on the progress of the airport’s upgradation, CAAN organized a site visit for media on Thursday. Officials said the expansion work is progressing on schedule and will help ease growing congestion at the country’s primary air gateway.
Maoist Centre slams UML for blocking former President Bhandari’s return to politics
The ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) has sharply criticized the CPN-UML’s decision to bar former President Bidya Devi Bhandari from returning to active politics, calling it a violation of constitutional rights.Reacting to the UML’s central committee resolution passed late Tuesday night, Maoist Centre General Secretary Dev Prasad Gurung said the move was “unconstitutional and undemocratic.” The UML decision not only annulled Bhandari’s renewed party membership but also explicitly prohibited her reentry into the party’s political activities.
Prachanda pledges to help address demands of senior citizens
The National Senior Citizen Federation Nepal on Thursday met with CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to press for the fulfillment of various long-standing demands concerning the welfare of senior citizens. During the meeting held at Dahal’s residence in Khumaltar, the delegation submitted a list of demands, including concessions in public transportation, proper identification and management of senior citizens, reforms in the distribution of old-age allowances, classification-based allowance provision, and ensuring senior citizens’ representation in the National Assembly. The Federation also raised a pressing issue that nearly 2,500 senior citizens remain stateless due to the lack of citizenship certificates and urged the former Prime Minister to take the lead in resolving it.
SEBON unveils ambitious plan for capital and commodity market reform
The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has announced an ambitious policy and program package for the fiscal year 2025/26, aimed at the reform, development, and expansion of the securities and commodity exchange markets. SEBON unveiled a comprehensive plan under seven major policy headings, comprising 88 specific programs. The announcement has drawn attention from both short-term investors in the stock market and long-term stakeholders interested in Nepal’s emerging commodity exchange market. The board has laid out a vision to align Nepal’s capital market with international standards, enhance investor protection, increase transparency, and introduce new financial instruments. It also emphasizes the use of information technology to modernize the market and improve financial literacy among investors.
83 wildlife deaths recorded in Chitwan National Park in 2024/25
Chitwan National Park (CNP) recorded the deaths of 83 wild animals in the last fiscal year 2024/25, according to officials. Among them, 45 animals died due to natural causes. Abinash Thapamagar, the park’s information officer, reported that 28 rhinoceroses died during the year. Of these, 18 died naturally, three were killed in territorial fights, one died from electric shock, two perished in floods and landslides, and three got trapped in marshland. The cause of one rhino’s death remains unknown. Among other major wildlife losses, one leopard and five elephants died naturally, while the reasons behind the deaths of two more elephants are still unconfirmed. A tiger was killed in a fight, and another tiger’s death is under investigation.
Petroleum products worth Rs 19.94 billion imported via Kakarbhitta in last fiscal year
Petroleum products worth Rs 19.94 billion were imported through the eastern border customs point of Kakarbhitta during the fiscal year 2024/25. The imports included petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum (LP) gas, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), and kerosene. According to Ishwor Kumar Humagain, Information Officer and Customs Officer at Mechi Customs Office, imports declined by Rs 908.2 million (4.40 percent) compared to the previous fiscal year 2080/81.
Two killed, 15 injured in jeep accident in Bajura
Two people died on the spot in a jeep accident that occurred in Himali Rural Municipality of Bajura district this morning. According to Police Inspector Dev Bahadur Chaudhary of the District Police Office, the deceased have been identified as 76-year-old Bija Rokaya and 75-year-old Bacha Rokaya of ward no. 5, Himali Rural Municipality. The accident took place at Tunigada while the jeep (Ba Pra 03-001 Ja 0338) was en route from QD village to the ward office of ward number 5. Police suspect the vehicle may have gone out of control on the rough, unpaved road due to overloading, as it was carrying passengers heading to renew their social security allowances.
Despite export growth, Nepal spends nearly Rs 40 billion on rice imports
While Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has claimed a historic surge in Nepal’s exports this fiscal year, data from the Department of Customs paints a different picture on the agricultural front. Nepal imported rice and paddy worth nearly Rs 40 billion in fiscal year 2024/25, highlighting the country’s growing dependence on food imports despite official rhetoric on self-reliance and domestic productivity. According to customs statistics, Nepal imported rice and paddy worth Rs 39.88 billion in total. This includes Rs 10.83 billion worth of ordinary rice, amounting to over 165 million kilograms. Imports of Basmati rice, a more premium variety, amounted to Rs 7.53 billion for around 68.7 million kilograms. The country also imported a small volume of brown rice worth Rs 737,000.
Gold prices down
Gold prices have gone down on Thursday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, gold prices have gone down by Rs 2,400. With this, the price of gold has been set at Rs 195,200 per tola.
Two teenagers found dead in Bode
Two teenage girls were found dead in Bode. Menuka Kandel, 17, and her 15-year-old sister Srijana Kandel were found dead in Bode, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-8, Bhaktapur. The two sisters died by suicide in Chakradhar Prajapati’s two-story house in Sintitar, Bode, on Thursday morning, informed DSP Dhundiraj Neupane of the District Police Office, Bhaktapur.
Doctors and clinics under fire for illegal advertising
Despite clear legal prohibitions, many doctors and private clinics across Nepal are openly advertising their medical services and pricing, particularly on social media, sparking concern among health authorities and raising questions about ethical conduct in the medical field. Government and private-sector physicians in Nepal are not allowed to advertise their services or fees, according to the Public Health Service Act 2018 and Nepal Medical Council (NMC) regulations. Yet, the trend of promotional content by medical professionals continues to grow, often in violation of these laws. A prominent example is the Kathmandu Clinic of Cosmetic Surgery, based in Anamnagar and operated by Dr. Suyog Mainali. The clinic openly promotes its services and fees online, despite the law clearly barring such practices. This clinic is just one among many flouting the rules.
Orange orchards expanded to 2,350 hectares in Syangja
Orange cultivation in Syangja has expanded to 2,350 hectares, nearly tripling since the launch of the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernization Project, which upgraded the district from an Orange Zone to an Orange Superzone in fiscal year 2073/074. At the start of the project, orange orchards covered just 887 hectares. According to Pratibha Budhathoki Chhetri, Information Officer at the Project Implementation Unit of the Orange Superzone, the area reached 2,250 hectares by the end of fiscal year 2080/081 and expanded by an additional 100 hectares in the last fiscal year alone. The project supports farmers—particularly those affiliated with cooperatives, farmer groups, and commercial farms—by providing subsidies for orange seedlings, irrigation systems, Bluetooth-enabled agricultural tools, vaccinations, and pesticides.
11 people killed in wild animal attacks in a year
A total of 11 people lost their lives in wild animal attacks in Chitwan National Park during the last fiscal year 2024/25, according to park authorities. Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar said that rhinos were responsible for the highest number of fatalities, killing eight people. Two deaths were caused by elephants and one by a tiger. In addition, 41 people were injured in attacks by wild animals, of which 32 sustained serious injuries and nine had minor injuries.
Complaint management unit to be established in Ministry of General Administration
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has decided to establish a complaint management unit to hear and resolve grievances from service recipients. According to the Ministry, the Good Governance Branch under the Capacity Development Division will also function as the complaint management unit. It will handle complaints related to the services provided by the ministry, including their processes and outcomes. To ensure effective complaint handling, the ministry will appoint a grievance facilitator as the head of the unit. Assisting the facilitator will be one branch officer and two computer-literate sub-inspectors or computer operators, selected from within the ministry or other relevant government agencies.
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