KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Three nominated for Supreme Court justice positions
The Judicial Council has recommended three individuals for appointment as justices of the Supreme Court.
During its meeting on Tuesday, the Council nominated one senior advocate and two chief judges from high courts for the top judicial posts.
The nominees are Senior Advocate Meghraj Pokharel, Chief Judge of the Janakpur High Court Shreekanta Paudel, and Chief Judge of the Dipayal High Court Shanti Singh Thapa.
Nearly Rs 70 million corruption in hospital construction: Case filed against Madhesh Province assembly member Thakur and 14 others
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against 15 individuals, including a sitting provincial assembly member of Madhesh Province, over irregularities in the construction of a hospital.
Those charged include Dipendra Kumar Thakur, the then managing director of Lumbini/D&N JV and D&N Builders Pvt. Ltd., and Bishnu Prasad Sharma, the then managing director of Lumbini Builders Pvt. Ltd. Thakur is currently a member of the Madhesh Provincial Assembly.
According to the CIAA, corruption occurred from the very start of the tender process for the construction of a 15-bed primary hospital in Aurahi Rural Municipality-2, Dhanusha. The estimated cost of the project was approximately Rs 244.3 million.
CIAA summons Mayor Balen over Cannes trip spending
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has summoned Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah to clarify the expenses incurred during his visit to the Cannes Film Festival in France last year.
The summons follows a complaint lodged with the CIAA, as well as concerns raised by the Office of the Auditor General. The audit questioned the decision to take two members of Shah’s secretariat, Sunil Lamsal and Kumar Byanjankar, as official municipal employees during the trip, which took place in May 15, 2024.
Both aides have already appeared before the CIAA for questioning. Mayor Shah has also been called in but has not yet responded or appeared.
Heat rises in Kathmandu as monsoon delay fuels dry spell
Temperatures in Kathmandu and across the country are on the rise as the monsoon struggles to move westward. Kathmandu recorded a maximum temperature of 31°C today, with no rainfall in sight for the capital just yet.
Although this year’s monsoon was expected to arrive early, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology says the weather system has stalled after reaching eastern Nepal. Meteorologist Pratibha Manandhar explained that while the monsoon has already entered up to the Koshi region, it has not progressed further due to the dominance of westerly winds.
She said that monsoon winds typically flow from east to west, but for most of the year – around eight months – the westerlies dominate, making it difficult for the monsoon to spread without a shift in upper atmospheric patterns.
Citizenship bill passed by Good Governance Committee
The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives has unanimously passed the bill to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2006.
The committee meeting held on Tuesday at Singha Durbar approved the bill, which the government had introduced to amend the Act for the second time.
Committee Chair Ramhari Khatiwada stated that the bill was passed with the aim of ending the situation where eligible Nepali citizens remain without citizenship. He said the decision was unanimous among all committee members.
Inflation up 2.77% compared to last year
Consumer prices in Nepal rose by 2.77% in the first ten months of the current fiscal year 2024/25, according to the latest macroeconomic update released by Nepal Rastra Bank.
This means that an item priced at Rs 100 ten months ago now costs Rs 102.77. While inflation continues, the pace has significantly slowed compared to the 4.40% rise seen in the same period last year.
The year-on-year inflation rate for food and beverages stood at 1.52%, while non-food and services rose by 3.45%. This marks a notable decline in food-related inflation compared to last year’s 6.41%, though the non-food segment saw a modest increase from 3.09% in the previous year.
Effective waste management impossible without source segregation: KMC
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has stated that without effective segregation of waste at the source, sustainable waste management will remain unattainable. The city made this assertion during a stakeholder consultation on medical waste management.
Sarita Rai, Chief of the KMC Environment Management Department, said simply transferring waste from one location to another does not ensure sustainability. She stressed the importance of effective waste segregation at the point of origin.
Since fiscal year 2022/23, KMC has monitored hazardous waste management at various healthcare facilities 96 times.
NEPSE rebounds as index rises by 25 points
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a notable recovery on Tuesday, with the benchmark index climbing 25 points (0.94%) to reach 2,678.17 points.
The day’s total turnover amounted to Rs 10.16 billion, involving the trade of over 23.6 million shares across 211 listed companies through 81,738 transactions.
Out of the traded companies, 196 saw an increase in their share prices, while 52 declined. No company’s stock price remained unchanged.
Bhandari defends political activity amid UML rift, says no permission needed
Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has returned to Kathmandu on Tuesday after spending several days in Nepal’s eastern districts—Jhapa, Sunsari, and Morang—meeting with cadres of the CPN-UML, the party she was long associated with before assuming the presidency.
Her recent activism in UML strongholds has stirred internal tensions within the party. Just days ago, UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli expressed his disapproval of Bhandari’s political re-engagement efforts during a speech at the ANNFSU general convention.
PM Oli warned against factionalism and suggested that efforts were being made to form “groups” within the party, without explicitly naming Bhandari.
ANNFSU leadership to be elected after student protests thwart unanimous selection bid
The All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) general convention in Kirtipur, which has already excluded a segment of leaders by implementing a 32-year age limit, is now set to elect its new leadership through a vote.
This development follows widespread student protests that rejected attempts by CPN (UML) leadership to achieve a unanimous selection.
The UML had initially aimed for a consensus-based leadership selection in the ongoing election, which is taking place after the implementation of the 32-year age limit. However, when the election committee announced a proposed list of names for president and general secretary, students erupted in protest.
Tensions flare at ANNFSU convention over UML’s attempt to enforce consensus leadership
The All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) national convention in Kirtipur erupted in loud protests on Tuesday after top leaders from the CPN-UML allegedly attempted to interfere in the leadership selection process by pushing for a consensus candidate instead of holding elections.
The controversy stems from UML’s decision to impose a 32-year age limit for participation in the convention. Although the age cap excluded many senior student leaders from contesting, the convention had been proceeding with delegates under the specified age.
As the 24th general convention moved into its closed-door session to begin the election process, UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, and Coordinator of the party’s Mass Organization Coordination Mechanism Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal reportedly pressured the ANNFSU leadership to avoid elections and opt for a unanimous selection of the new leadership.
RSP accuses Home Ministry of ignoring CIAA warnings on visa scam
The opposition party, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has accused the Home Ministry of neglecting repeated warnings from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) regarding illegal fees collected by the Immigration Department from citizens traveling abroad on visit visas.
RSP’s acting spokesperson, Manish Jha, claimed that despite nine official correspondences from CIAA between November 2024 and April 2025, the Home Ministry did not take any action.
Jha alleged that the ministry only reacted after learning that the CIAA planned to conduct a raid at the Immigration Office.
Prachanda commits to reclaiming top political spot
Maoist Center Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has reaffirmed his commitment to making the Maoist Center the leading political party in Nepal by uniting all factions within the party.
“Just as we were the number one party in the 2064 BS elections, though we could not sustain that position, we are determined to reclaim it by delivering good governance, prosperity, social justice, and advancing the path toward socialism as the people desire,” he said.
Prachanda also noted the formation of a socialist front that includes the Biplav-led CPN, the Madhav Nepal-led CPN Unified Socialist, and the Mahendra Raya-led Nepal Samajwadi Party, adding that discussions on further unity are ongoing.
NEPSE lists over Rs 58 billion in securities as market capitalization rises sharply
Nepal’s stock market saw the listing of securities worth Rs 58.43 billion in the first ten months of the current fiscal year 2024/25, according to the latest report by Nepal Rastra Bank.
The listed securities included bonus shares, ordinary shares, rights shares, mutual funds, FPOs, and other instruments. During the same period, market capitalization rose to Rs 4.36 trillion, up from Rs 3.17 trillion a year earlier, while the NEPSE index climbed from 1,998.89 to 2,620.27.
The number of companies listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange reached 271 by the end of May, with banks, financial institutions, and insurance companies making up the majority.
Balen–Sunita conflict stalls Kathmandu’s budget process
A deepening power struggle between Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s Mayor Balen Shah and Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol has thrown the city’s budget process into disarray, putting Nepal’s capital at risk of entering the new fiscal year without an approved financial plan.
The crisis started after breakdown in communication between the two top elected officials, triggered by disagreements over the appointment and approval of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Saroj Guragain.
Since the conflict erupted in late December 2024, the city’s municipal council has failed to convene a single meeting—a legal prerequisite for budget endorsement and approval.
Gold prices down Rs 600
The price of gold has gone down marginally on Tuesday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold Silver Dealers Association, the price of gold has gone down by Rs 600.
The association said that gold is being traded at Rs 190,000 on Tuesday, down from Rs 190,600 on Monday.
Monetary policy will address economic challenges: NRB Governor Poudel
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Governor Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel has said the upcoming monetary policy will be designed to address key economic challenges and introduce reforms to support national economic recovery.
Speaking at an interaction program organized by NRB’s Dhangadhi branch on Monday, Governor Poudel held discussions with business leaders, borrowers, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.
He stated that recent events had disrupted Nepal’s economy and emphasized the central bank’s commitment to responding with appropriate corrective measures.
Joint bench of justices Shrestha and Pandey to hear contempt case over budget
A contempt of court petition has been registered at the Supreme Court of Nepal over a provision in the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 budget, with a hearing scheduled before the joint bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Nityananda Pandey.
Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi filed the petition on Sunday, claiming that clause 87 of the new budget disrespects and defies a previous Supreme Court order. The petition demands maximum punishment for those involved in the alleged contempt.
The petition names Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Industry Minister Damodar Bhandari, and Forest Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri as defendants.
Remittance cross Rs 1.35 trillion in 10 months; foreign exchange reserves surpass Rs 2.5 trillion
Nepal received more than Rs 1.35 trillion in remittances over the first 10 months of the current fiscal year 2024/25, according to a report released by Nepal Rastra Bank on Tuesday.
This marks a 13.2% increase compared to the same period last year, when remittance inflows had grown by 16.9%.
In the month of Baisakh (mid-April to mid-May), remittance inflows reached Rs 165.3 billion, significantly higher than Rs 115.99 billion recorded in the same month last year.
Court begins detention hearings in Tinkune case
Kathmandu District Court on Tuesday began pretrial detention hearings for the individuals accused in the violent Tinkune protest of March 28, which resulted in the deaths of journalist Suresh Rajak and transport worker Sabin Maharjan.
A total of 50 defendants, including controversial figure Durga Prasai, were presented before the bench of Judge Dhruva Raj Karki.
Statements from the defendants had begun on May 25 and concluded recently, paving the way for the commencement of detention arguments.
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