Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Nepal News Evening Briefing | Wednesday, June 25, 2025 

June 25, 2025
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KATHMANDU: Stay informed with Nepal News’ daily evening briefing, covering the most significant developments from Nepal and around the world. From politics and economy to sports, entertainment, and culture, we bring you a concise summary of the day’s top stories.

Special Court Orders Madhav Nepal’s Release On Rs 3.5 Million Bail: In the land misappropriation case involving Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company, the Special Court has ordered the release of former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on bail of Rs 3.5 million. The bail order was issued on Wednesday following the conclusion of his statement and detention hearing in the corruption case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). A bench comprising Special Court members Tej Narayan Singh Raya, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Bidur Koirala issued the order directing his release on bail.

Displaced Families from Koshi Tappu Expansion Submit Memorandum to PM Oli: Representatives of families displaced by the expansion of the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today, demanding land compensation through resettlement. During the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, 95-year-old Kamala Kumari Pokharel, along with other displaced representatives, reminded PM Oli of the state’s gentleman’s agreement made 48 years ago, when their homes were acquired for the reserve’s expansion, promising land in exchange.

Minister Gurung Unveils Key Cabinet Decisions: The government has approved the Industry and Commerce Promotion Council Order, 2082, as decided in the Cabinet meeting held on June 23. Communications and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung announced the decision at a press conference at Singha Durbar on Wednesday. The Cabinet also approved the participation of the Minister of Drinking Water in the “Unlocking Water and Sanitation Financing Through the Heads of State Initiative” conference in Seville, Spain, from June 29 to July 3.

Prachanda Defends Flexibility for Passage of Key Bills: CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said he showed flexibility toward the government to help pass essential bills stuck in Parliament. Speaking at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting on the ‘Bill to Amend and Consolidate the Laws Related to the Nepal Police,’ he said recent compromises were necessary to push key legislation forward. He defended the move, which was criticized after his party ended its obstruction over the visit visa scandal.

Seven More Nepalis to Return from Iran with India’s Help: Seven Nepalis will return from Iran on Wednesday, supported by India. Four will depart from Mashhad airport in the afternoon—Sagar Paudel, Buddhi Bhusal, Gayatri Karki, and her son Utsav Thapa—and three more in the evening: Yagya Marasini, Raju Khanal, and Bishnu Prasad Bhusal. Their return was delayed due to exit permit issues, though two others from Butwal already returned Tuesday. The Nepali government is also preparing to evacuate citizens from Israel amid ongoing conflicts.

Home Minister Lekhak Confident Citizenship Bill Will Pass House on June 28: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak announced that the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2081 is expected to be passed by the House of Representatives on June 28. Speaking at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, he emphasized the need to pass the bill quickly without delay. “I have been informed that the bill will be presented to the honorable House on the 28th, and we will pass it the same day,” said Minister Lekhak.

PM Oli Pays Rs. 303,600 in UML Membership Fee and Levy: Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli personally visited the party’s central office in Chyasal on Wednesday to pay his annual membership fee and levy. According to party officials, UML charges a monthly membership fee of Rs. 300. Oli submitted Rs. 3,600 towards the fee and Rs. 300,000 as annual levy—amounting to a total of Rs. 303,600. UML collects levies from members holding positions of benefit, including lawmakers. Party office secretary Dr. Bhishma Adhikari and chief accountant Rajendra Shrestha handed Oli the official receipt.

Two Toddlers Die After Falling into Toilet Septic Tank in Rautahat: Two children have died after falling into a toilet septic tank in Binuwa Tole of Chandrapur Municipality–10, Rautahat. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Raya, spokesperson for the Rautahat District Police Office, both children, who had fallen into the septic tank on Tuesday night, died during treatment. The victims have been identified as one-year-old Ranje Sah, son of Gamira Sah, and one-year-old Khushbu Sah, daughter of Jagdish Sah. They were seriously injured after accidentally falling into the septic tank while playing and were rushed to Chandranigahapur Primary Health Center for treatment.

CIAA Files Corruption Case Against Former Veterinary Office Chief and Two Others: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court in Kathmandu against former head of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Center, Saptari, Dr. Prabhat Jha, along with two others. According to CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel, the case—filed on Wednesday—accuses Dr. Jha, assistant accountant Anil Limbu, and Kaushal Raj Singh, director of Modak Advertising Pvt. Ltd., of embezzling Rs. 129,667 through corrupt practices.

Eight Injured in Passenger Bus Accident in Kavre’s Panauti: Eight people were injured on Wednesday when a passenger bus met with an accident in Panauti Municipality-6, Hanumangadhi along the Araniko Highway in Kavrepalanchok. According to police, the bus (Ba 2 Kha 3265) lost control and overturned into a roadside ditch. The injured were rescued and taken to Panauti Polyclinic for treatment.

Tribhuvan Highway to Close for Two Days for Repairs: The Lamidanda–Simbhanjyang section of the Tribhuvan Highway will remain closed for two days, Friday and Saturday, from 12 PM to 4 PM, according to a notice issued by the Makwanpur District Administration Office. The closure is due to planned road repairs and installation of humepipes at Rani Bhanjyang bend in Makwanpur, the office stated.

NEPSE Dips Slightly by 0.33 Points, Closes at 2600.20: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index dropped by a marginal 0.33 points on Wednesday, settling at 2600.20. This marks another day of minor decline, keeping the market in the red. According to NEPSE, there was no significant fluctuation in total transaction volume. Compared to Tuesday’s turnover of Rs. 5.76 billion, Wednesday saw a slightly higher trading volume of Rs. 5.94 billion.

NRB Governor Poudel Eases Loan Repayment and Restructuring Rules: NRB Governor Biswo Poudel has adopted more flexible monetary policies to ease conditions for the private sector. Borrowers of working capital loans will get extended repayment periods. Small and medium enterprises can now restructure loans up to Rs 20 million, and deadlines for priority-sector lending have also been extended.

Investment Companies Barred from Secondary Market Share Purchases: Investment companies formed to pool public funds for targeted sectoral investments will now be strictly prohibited from buying shares on the secondary market. The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) plans to enforce this regulation rigorously by amending previous policies and expanding permissible investment sectors, while barring secondary share purchases.

Banks Increase Deposits in Nepal Rastra Bank Amid Liquidity Crunch: Banks and financial institutions have increased their deposits at Nepal Rastra Bank amid a persistent liquidity crisis. Banks struggling to manage liquidity have been depositing at an interest rate of just 2.99%. As earlier 21-day deposit collections failed to ease the situation, the central bank has introduced 42-day and 63-day deposit collection tools.

Govt Drafts New Aviation Policy 2025 to Replace 19-Year-Old One: The government has drafted a new National Aviation Policy 2025 to replace the 19-year-old aviation framework. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation has released the draft for initial public discussion. The new policy includes provisions to allow individuals or institutions to operate air services for private purposes.

Film ‘Koshe Dhunga’ to Release Simultaneously in Over 40 Countries: The film Koshe Dhunga is set to hit public theaters starting Bhadra 12 (August 28). It is directed by Saroj Poudel, who previously directed the highly successful Poorn Bahadurko Sarangi. Director Poudel announced that the film will be released simultaneously in over 40 countries, including Nepal. He added, “The release plan for more countries is underway and may expand further before the release date.”

Neha Kakkar and Ekdev Limbu Collaborate on Hindi-Nepali Mashup Song ‘Jhim Jhim’: The romantic teaser video of the Hindi version of the song ‘Jhim Jhim’ featuring Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar and Nepali singer Ekdev Limbu has been released. The 40-second teaser blends Hindi and Nepali lyrics—Neha sings in Hindi, while Ekdev performs the Nepali version titled ‘Jhimjhimaune Aankha’ in Nepali. This Hindi-Nepali mashup symbolizes the fusion of two languages and artists. The video stars Ritvik Sahore and Priya Prakash Varrier.

Nepal Officially Partners with ‘Miss Cosmo’ Beauty Pageant: Just one year after its inception, Vietnam’s beauty contest ‘Miss Cosmo’ has gained global recognition. For the first time, Nepal has entered a formal partnership with Miss Cosmo. The Hidden Treasure, organizers of Miss Nepal, announced this collaboration at a press conference on Tuesday. Going forward, Miss Nepal will select representatives for four international pageants: Miss World, Miss International, Miss Earth, and the newly added Miss Cosmo, whose inaugural edition was held last year.

Nabin Neupane Appointed Head Coach of Nepal U-23 National Team: Nabin Neupane has been appointed as the head coach of the Nepal national U-23 football team. He has been assigned the role for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers to be held in Tajikistan. ANFA Acting General Secretary Badri Bhattarai handed over the appointment letter to Neupane. Nepal is placed in Group H alongside Tajikistan, Syria, and the Philippines for the qualifiers scheduled from September 3 to 9.

Three Star Decries ANFA Ruling After Relegation to B Division: Three Star Club has called ANFA’s decision to relegate it to the ‘B’ Division unfair. Outgoing president Arun Man Joshi accused ANFA of repeated bias. The club had beaten Jawalakhel 1–0 two years ago to avoid relegation, pushing APF down instead. But APF later filed a complaint, saying Three Star had used players with expired visas. While ANFA’s Disciplinary Committee fined the club, the Appeals Committee overturned the result on June 19, awarding a 3–0 win to APF. Three Star lost three points and was relegated, while APF returned to the A Division.

New Football Stadium to Be Built in Jarsingh Pauwa as Dasharath Stadium Alternative: A new football stadium will be constructed at Jarsingh Pauwa in Kathmandu as an alternative to the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar. According to the Ministry of Urban Development, the proposed stadium will have a seating capacity of 25,000. The ministry has allocated a budget of Rs 200 million for the project. The stadium will be named ‘Ganeshman Singh International Stadium,’ the ministry confirmed. Currently, Dasharath Stadium is the only football venue in Nepal with international accreditation, but it has remained in poor condition due to inadequate repair and reconstruction efforts.

Israeli Forces Kill 41 in Gaza: Israeli forces have continued their military campaign in Gaza with unrelenting intensity, killing at least 41 Palestinians since midnight, according to local sources. The overnight bombardments and ground offensives targeted several areas across the besieged enclave, including residential neighborhoods, displacing more families and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe. Since the war began on October 7, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 56,087 people and wounded 131,848 others, according to figures released by the Health Ministry in Gaza. The vast majority of casualties are believed to be civilians, including thousands of women and children.

Netanyahu Declares ‘Historic’ Victory While US Intel Reports Iran Nuclear Sites Not Destroyed: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a “historic victory” against Iran despite a US intelligence report concluding that American strikes set back Tehran’s nuclear program by just a few months. Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday, ending 12 days of tit-for-tat strikes, after US President Donald Trump joined the conflict with bunker-busting bombs over the weekend that he said destroyed key Iranian nuclear sites. A classified preliminary US intelligence report, however, concluded that American strikes on Iran set back its nuclear program by just a few months.

India Sends Its First Astronaut into Space in 41 Years: Jubilant Indians have been celebrating the successful launch of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission which has taken off with a multi-country crew, including an Indian astronaut. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who’s piloting the mission, has become only the second Indian to travel to space. In just over 26 hours – when the spacecraft docks at the International Space Station (ISS) – Group Captain Shukla will become the first ever Indian to visit Nasa’s orbiting laboratory. His trip comes 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to fly to space aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.