KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Rabi and Balen seal ‘Greater Unity’ pact ahead of elections
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane and Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) have reached a written agreement to move forward together in the upcoming elections. The agreement, titled ‘Greater Unity’, was signed on Sunday morning following overnight negotiations between the two leaders. The seven-point pact outlines political commitments, leadership arrangements, and organizational restructuring ahead of the elections.
Balen secures second-in-command status in RSP after Rabi
Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra (Balen) Shah formally came together to take on Nepal’s traditional political parties, signing a seven-point agreement early Sunday morning. The talks began soon after Lamichhane’s release from a nine-month prison sentence. Discussions continued throughout Saturday, with Shishir Khanal, Dr. Swarnim Wagle, and Asim Shah from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) helping draft the agreement. Balen’s team, including Bhupdev Shah, Kumar Ben, Sudip Dhakal, and KP Khanal, were also present. Initially, a merger seemed unlikely, but after late-night talks between Rabi and Balen, consensus was reached. Filmmaker Nischal Basnet also played an active role in facilitating the talks.
PR list: 40 names from Balen’s camp agreed
Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Rabi Lamichhane have reached an understanding that 40 candidates from Balen’s camp will be included in the proportional representation (PR) list of the RSP for the upcoming elections. The Election Commission is scheduled to receive the closed list of candidates for the proportional election system today and tomorrow. A total of 110 names must be submitted. According to sources, it was agreed that 40 names would come from Balen Shah’s side, with the remaining 70 from the RSP.
Operator of Casino Waldo arrested
The operator of Casino Waldo has been arrested on charges of defrauding customers and engaging in illegal financial transactions under the guise of casino games. According to SP Pawan Kumar Bhattarai, spokesperson for the District Police Range, Kathmandu, a police team apprehended 75-year-old Chan Man Chying in Kathmandu while he was absconding.
Election atmosphere set after all-party meeting: Minister Kharel
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel has said that a conducive atmosphere for the upcoming elections on March 5, 2026 has been created following an all-party meeting, which included representatives of political parties and Gen-Z leaders. Speaking at the inauguration of an interaction program jointly organized by the Ministry of Communications and the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Gandaki Province, Minister Kharel, who is also the government spokesperson, stated that the election has been assured due to the government’s commitment, the preparations of the Election Commission, and the readiness of political parties.
Gold and silver prices increase in Nepali market
The prices of gold and silver have continued to rise in the local market over the past few days, with both metals seeing further increases today. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers, the price of gold has reached Rs. 270,600 per tola, while silver is priced at Rs. 4,835 per tola, marking record highs for both metals.
Human trafficking in a new form: Border risks intensify
The open border with India, increasing misuse of technology and the involvement of relatives and acquaintances have made the region increasingly vulnerable to human trafficking and smuggling. The growing use of alternative and illegal routes, beyond the main border checkpoints, has further complicated efforts to control trafficking. The nature of human trafficking has been changing over time, with recent trends showing an increase in cases linked to foreign employment scams, fake marriages, tourism and online or “cyber trafficking,” said Maheshwori Bhatta, coordinator of Maiti Nepal.
HoR election: 18.9 million voters eligible to cast ballots
A total of 18,903,689 voters will be eligible to cast their ballots in the election of members of the House of Representatives scheduled for March 5, 2026, according to the final voter list published by the Election Commission (EC). As per the final list, there are 9,663,358 male voters, 9,240,131 female voters, and 200 voters registered under the “other” category. The Election Commission has also made the final voter list available on its official website, allowing voters to verify their details.
Kulman to join hands with Janardan after Balen–Rabi pact
Following a seven-point agreement between Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah and Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane, two other emerging political forces have also moved closer toward electoral cooperation. The Progressive Democratic Party, backed by former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and led by former Maoist Centre leader Janardan Sharma ‘Prabhakar’, and the Ujyalo Nepal Party, backed by Energy Minister Kulman Ghising, are heading toward an electoral alliance.
SC extends statute of limitation, time-limit, date for appearance of ongoing cases by 60 days
The Supreme Court (SC) has decided to allow the extension of the ongoing cases’ statute of limitation, time-limit and date for appearance. With the SC’s decision, the statute of limitation, time-limit and date for appearance of the running cases will be extended until January 14. A larger full bench of Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut, Senior Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, Justices Kumar Regmi, Hari Prasad Phuyal, Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Dr Nahakul Subedi, Til Prasad Shrestha, Binod Sharma, Saranga Subedi, Abdul Aziz Musalman, Mahesh Sharma Paudel, Tek Prasad Dhungana, Sunil Kumar Pokhrel, Bal Krishna Dhakal, Nrip Dhowj Niraula, Nityananda Pandey, Meghraj Pokhrel, Shreekanta Paudel and Shanti Singh Thapa took this decision on Sunday.
Political parties begin submitting closed lists of PR candidates
The political parties have started submitting their closed lists of the Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system contesting the upcoming March 5 election, according to the Election Commission (CE). The EC, a constitutional body mandated to conduct and monitor the election, issued a press statement today in this regard.
Deputy Speaker Ranamagar resigns
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), Indira Ranamagar, has resigned from the post. Irrespective of the practice that the terms of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are in effect till a day before the candidacy filing for the direct election, Deputy Speaker Ranamagar voluntarily resigned from the post on Sunday. The Election Commission has scheduled today and tomorrow (Nov 28-29) to submit the closed list of candidates under the proportional category of the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, 2026.
Elderly woman dies in tiger attack
An elderly person of Punarbas municipality-6 in Kanchanpur district died in a tiger attack. According to a Police Inspector at the Area Police Office of Tribhuvan Basti, Lokendra Karki, the incident took place last Saturday when the elderly had gone to a bordering Dudhwa National Park area in India to collect grass. “The elderly woman was attacked and killed by the wild cat there,” Inspector Karki shared. However, complete identity of the elderly woman is yet to be clear.
Election code of conduct approved, to be effective from January 1
The Election Commission has sanctioned the Election Code of Conduct 2082 BS, which will be implemented for the forthcoming House of Representatives elections slated for March 5. The code of conduct, which was published on the Commission’s website today, is set to take effect in the first week of Magh (Mid-January). To ensure that the elections are clean, free, fearless, respectful, and credible, the Commission has revised certain aspects of the previous code. The approval of this code followed the incorporation of suggestions received on the draft.
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