KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Pradeep Gyawali accuses PM Shah of trivializing serious national issues
CPN-UML leader Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that major national issues are being pushed to the sidelines as leading political parties remain preoccupied with their internal disputes. Expressing his views through social media, Gyawali noted that democratic parties such as the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress are currently grappling with internal challenges and differences. He said differing views on policy, decisions, organizational matters, working style and leadership are natural in democratic parties, but stressed that such disagreements should be resolved through established institutional and procedural mechanisms.
UML launches review, restructuring drive after poor election performance
The CPN-UML has launched an election review and party restructuring campaign after being reduced to just nine directly elected seats in the March 5 election. As part of the initiative, the party on Tuesday held a provincial-level election review and consultation program in Biratnagar, aimed at gathering suggestions and assessing the causes behind its electoral setback. The UML has formed a task force led by senior vice-chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa to review the election results and recommend reforms in organizational structure, working style and party operations.
Lawmakers, experts call for urgent action on road safety and accident reduction
The Infrastructure Development Committee under the House of Representatives held discussions on road safety, transport management, accident reduction and infrastructure improvement on Tuesday, with lawmakers and experts stressing the need for effective implementation of road safety measures. Committee Chairperson Ashish Gajurel said the committee would facilitate the implementation of recommendations received during the discussion. He described road safety as a highly sensitive issue and urged the government to treat it as a priority. Gajurel noted that five years have passed since a road safety bill was drafted, yet it has not been tabled in Parliament. He also said delays in the construction of road infrastructure have contributed to growing transportation challenges.
Former CAAN Director General Gautam remanded to judicial custody in corruption case
The Special Court has ordered former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Sanjeev Gautam, to be sent to judicial custody pending trial in a corruption case. The order was issued on Tuesday by a joint bench of Special Court members Narayan Prasad Paudel, Hemanta Rawal and Dilli Ratna Shrestha. The Special Government Attorney’s Office in Kathmandu had filed charges against Gautam alleging irregularities and financial misconduct related to the construction project of Pokhara Regional International Airport.
Allegations emerge over irregularities in local IPO allocation of Sanigad Hydro
Allegations of irregularities have surfaced in the initial public offering (IPO) process of Sanigad Hydro Limited, the promoter of the 38.46 MW Upper Kalangagad Hydropower Project in Bungal Municipality, Bajhang. According to the allegations, shares reserved for project-affected local residents were distributed to individuals outside the designated affected area through an alleged arrangement involving company officials and Laxmi Sunrise Capital, the issue manager. The company has an issued capital of Rs 2.85 billion and offered 30 percent of it, equivalent to Rs 855 million or 8.55 million shares, to the public.
Chef Santosh Shah released
Chef Santosh Shah has been released following his arrest in connection with a banking offence and fraud case. Shah, who was arrested in Janakpur on Saturday, was released on Monday, according to the District Police Range, Kathmandu. Police spokesperson and Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Bhattarai said Shah was released after preliminary legal procedures. He was arrested following a complaint filed by Sakuantala Adhikari (Thapa), who accused him of cheating her in a hotel purchase deal.
Govt gives employee unions seven-day deadline to vacate offices from public buildings
The District Administration Office (DAO), Kathmandu, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to employee unions, professional associations, and organizations operating from government and public institution premises to relocate their offices. In a public notice issued on Sunday, the administration stated that non-governmental technical, professional, and employee-based organizations registered under the Association Registration Act, 1977, are not permitted to maintain offices within government buildings. According to the notice, central, provincial, district, liaison, and unit-level offices of such organizations currently operating from government premises must remove their offices, signboards, and other related structures within seven days and relocate to privately owned or rented buildings.
RSP lawmaker Srishti Bhattarai says she will follow traffic rules after video controversy
Srishti Bhattarai has issued a clarification after a video involving her circulated widely on social media and sparked controversy. In a statement posted on her social media account, Bhattarai said the video was recorded a long time ago during a personal trip and clarified that she was a passenger, not the driver. She stated that the footage showed her briefly looking out of a car window and enjoying the journey. Bhattarai said the video was not recent and had been recorded before she assumed her current public responsibilities or government position.
Lawmakers seek budget revisions as House continues deliberations on Appropriation Bill
Discussions on various budget headings under the Appropriation Bill continued in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with lawmakers proposing symbolic reductions in ministry expenditures and raising concerns over budget allocations across key sectors. During the meeting, MP Guru Prasad Baral proposed reducing the allocation for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to Rs 1, arguing that greater investment is needed to strengthen science and technology education from the secondary school level. He stressed that science and technology form the foundation of modern knowledge and called on the government to expand opportunities for students to study science. Baral noted that the ministry currently has a budget of around Rs 4 billion and said additional resources would be necessary given the establishment of the new ministry.
RSP lawmaker Ashika Tamang urges rescue of Nepali youth allegedly held hostage in Cyprus
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Ashika Tamang has called on the government to immediately rescue a 21-year-old Nepali man from Dhading who is reportedly being held hostage in Cyprus. Speaking during the emergency hour of Tuesday’s House of Representatives meeting, Tamang drew the government’s attention to the case of Ujjwal Kunwar, who allegedly travelled to Cyprus after being lured by promises of foreign employment through a manpower agency. According to Tamang, Kunwar is being held captive by a Pakistani national and has been subjected to physical assault and abuse. She further claimed that the captor has demanded around Rs 1.2 million from Kunwar’s family and has threatened to kill him if the money is not paid.
Monsoon arrival in Nepal likely to be delayed by a few more days
Nepal’s monsoon season is expected to arrive later than usual this year, with meteorologists forecasting a further delay of several days. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the monsoon typically enters Nepal around June 13. However, despite already being three days later than last year’s arrival, the seasonal weather system has yet to reach the country. Department spokesperson Bibhuti Pokharel said analysis of satellite data and numerical weather prediction models indicates that the onset of the monsoon is likely to be delayed for a few more days. “Based on satellite observations and weather forecast models, there is a possibility that the monsoon will enter Nepal later than the average date,” Pokharel said.
Opposition MPs demand removal of PM’s border remark from parliamentary record
Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday continued their demand to remove Prime Minister’s controversial remarks on Nepal’s borders from the parliamentary record. At the beginning of Tuesday’s session, opposition MPs insisted that the Prime Minister’s statement suggesting that Nepal had also encroached on India’s territory should be expunged from the official records. During the meeting, Nepali Communist Party MP Pramesh Hamal said the Prime Minister himself should clarify his remarks on border issues. He also urged the government to take serious note of ongoing alleged Indian encroachments along the border.
Foreign Minister Khanal meets senior CPC leader Wang Huning in Beijing
Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, who is on a four-day official visit to China, held talks with Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), on Tuesday. According to the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, the meeting focused on various dimensions of Nepal-China relations and ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. The two sides exchanged views on development cooperation, trade, investment, tourism, political exchanges and people-to-people relations. During the meeting, Minister Khanal praised Wang’s strong commitment to deepening and advancing the long-standing friendly ties between Nepal and China.
CIAA arrests Department of Passports DG Tirtharaj Aryal
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has arrested Director General of the Department of Passports, Tirtharaj Aryal. Aryal was arrested on Monday from the Prime Minister’s Office in Baluwatar, according to the anti-graft body. The CIAA said the arrest was made in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities in a passport procurement case. Further investigation into the case is underway, the commission added.
Gold price edges up by Rs 300 per tola, silver declines
The price of gold recorded a modest increase on Tuesday, while silver prices declined. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of fine gold rose by Rs 300 per tola compared to Monday, reaching Rs 298,500 per tola. Gold was traded at Rs 298,200 per tola on Monday. Despite the daily increase, gold prices have fallen by Rs 3,400 per tola over the past week.
Proposal to hike traffic fines up to Rs 50,000 sparks debate in parliamentary committee
Chairperson of the House of Representatives’ Infrastructure Development Committee Ashish Gajurel has said that existing traffic fines in Nepal are too low to ensure compliance and should be significantly increased, proposing penalties ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 for traffic rule violations. Speaking at a committee meeting on infrastructure issues, Gajurel argued that current fines of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 do not create sufficient deterrence and stressed the need for stricter legal provisions to enforce traffic discipline. At the start of the meeting, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) at the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office Suresh Prasad Kafle presented a briefing on public transport management and urgent reforms needed to improve traffic operations.
Nepal and China reaffirm commitment to bilateral cooperation
Nepal and China have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors while respecting each other’s priorities, interests and sensitivities. The understanding was reached during delegation-level bilateral talks between Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, who is on a four-day official visit to China, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Beijing on Monday. According to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides held substantive discussions on the overall state of Nepal-China relations, which are founded on friendship, goodwill and cooperation.
Constitution amendment must protect existing rights, warns Barshaman Pun
Nepali Communist Party leader and lawmaker Barshaman Pun has warned that any attempt to use constitutional amendments to roll back political achievements secured through the sacrifices and struggles of the Nepali people would be unacceptable. Addressing a program in Deukhuri, Dang, on Monday to mark the Magar community’s Bhume Festival, Pun said there were indications that ongoing discussions on constitutional amendment could be used to curtail rights already enjoyed by citizens. He said issues raised before the promulgation of the Constitution in 2015 but left unaddressed could be incorporated through amendments. However, he stressed that rights already guaranteed by the Constitution must not be weakened or taken away.
Seized BYD electric vehicles released after probe finds no irregularities
Authorities have released hundreds of BYD electric vehicles that had been detained in Mustang for the past two weeks after a preliminary investigation found no irregularities in their import process. According to the Armed Police Force (APF), the vehicles seized at Jomsom and the Korala border point were released from Sunday evening following directions from the APF headquarters. A total of 775 BYD electric vehicles entered Nepal through the northern Korala border crossing on June 4. Of these, 649 vehicles had already completed customs clearance through the Mustang Customs Office in Nechung.
Displaced squatters protest after food supply halted at Kirtipur holding center
Residents of the squatters’ holding center in Radhaswami, Kirtipur, have staged a protest after food distribution was halted for nearly two days, leaving hundreds of displaced people without regular meals. According to residents, food service stopped on Sunday evening and had not resumed by Tuesday morning. The affected families say they have been forced to survive on limited supplies while waiting for authorities to address the situation. Speaking to Khabarhub by phone from the holding center, one resident said no meals had been provided since Sunday evening.
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