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.

Health Insurance Programme Will Be Reviewed, Says PM Oli: Prime Minister KP Sharma has said that the government would review the government health insurance programme. During his address to a function organised on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) here today, the Prime Minister said in some case, the insurance facility was found to be misused. It will be reviewed to ensure that it fulfills its intended purpose and benefits the people meaningfully, according to him. The Prime Minister also urged TUTH to intensify its efforts in supporting the government’s “Nirogi Nepal” (Healthy Nepal) campaign and in delivering quality healthcare services to those in need.

Prachanda Warns of National Crisis, Accuses Government of Serving Brokers and Middlemen: CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman and Leader of the Opposition Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has launched a strong critique of the ruling coalition, warning that Nepal is heading toward a multidimensional national crisis and accusing the government of being driven by the interests of brokers and power syndicates. In a special address to the House of Representatives on Monday, Prachanda said the current government’s conduct has deeply betrayed the promises and dreams made to the people during the Comprehensive Peace Accord and the drafting of the Constitution. “Are we moving forward according to the dreams we saw during the peace process?” he asked. “

Speaker Ghimire Meets Chief Whips, Calls for Dialogue to End Disruptions: Today, Speaker Devraj Ghimire of the House of Representatives met with the chief whips and whips of major political parties to address the ongoing boycott of regular parliamentary sessions by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). The Speaker expressed serious concern over the continued disruptions, emphasizing that indefinite obstruction is not a sustainable solution. He highlighted the absence of the fourth and fifth largest political parties and called on all sides—the government, ruling parties, main opposition, and other absent groups—to return to dialogue and work toward consensus.

Parliamentary Disruption Continues as RSP, RP Boycott Session Today: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) boycotted the House of Representatives session on Wednesday. Both parties protested the absence of either a parliamentary special investigation committee or a high-level judicial probe into the Visit Visa scandal. As soon as Speaker Devraj Ghimire announced the start of the session, lawmakers from RPP and RSP stood up in protest. Following this, Speaker Ghimire gave the floor to RSP lawmaker Ashok Chaudhary, who stated that since a committee had not been formed to investigate the Visit Visa issue as per their demands, they would continue their protest by not attending the session.

Minister Balaram Adhikari Responds to Audio Scandal Allegations in Parliament: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Balaram Adhikari has responded to allegations linking him to a recent audio scandal. He addressed the issue during today’s session of the House of Representatives in response to questions raised by lawmakers. During the question-and-answer session, CPN (Maoist Centre) MP Madhav Sapkota questioned Minister Adhikari regarding his alleged involvement. In reply, the minister challenged anyone to bring forth evidence linking him, his ministry, or his role in the appointment of the commission’s chairperson to the scandal. He firmly denied any connection to the controversy and called for facts if any such links truly exist.

Lingden Slams Oli’s ‘Missing’ Good Governance Commission, Labels Parliament a Dark Chapter: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden on Monday delivered a scathing critique in the House of Representatives, questioning the very existence and effectiveness of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s much-touted Good Governance Commission and condemning the current state of Parliament as a “dark chapter in parliamentary history.” Speaking in the ongoing session, Lingden asked the Parliament and the government, “Where is this Good Governance Commission of the Prime Minister? Today, the people and the country are searching for it.” The commission, chaired by Prime Minister Oli himself, was formed by the Council of Ministers on Baisakh 8, 2082 (April 21, 2025), with the stated aim of enhancing transparency and administrative integrity.

President Paudel Authenticates Three Fiscal Bills: President Ramchandra Paudel has authenticated three financial bills passed by both houses of the Federal Parliament. According to Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Office of the President at Shital Niwas, the authentication was carried out in line with Article 113(2) of the Constitution of Nepal. The bills signed into law include the Appropriation Bill for the fiscal year 2025/26, which makes provisions for allocating and spending funds from the federal consolidated fund for government services and operations. Similarly, the President authenticated the bill formulated to implement the government’s financial proposals, effectively giving legal backing to the policies outlined in the national budget.

Teachers’ Federation Warns of Fresh Agitation Over Education Bill Delay: The Nepal Teachers’ Federation has issued a strong warning of renewed protests after the government failed to table the School Education Bill in Parliament by the agreed deadline of Asar 15 (June 29). The Federation accused the government of breaching past agreements and attempting to dilute teacher- and staff-friendly provisions in the draft bill. Following a 29-day nationwide education protest earlier this year and an earlier 89-day agitation, the Federation and government had reached a written agreement on Baisakh 17 (April 30) to pass the bill promptly. However, the Federation says the bill has yet to be presented in the House of Representatives, showing the government’s disregard for teachers’ concerns and prior commitments.

Investigation Launched into Unauthorized Individuals Taken to UN Conference in Seville: An investigation has been initiated into a racket that allegedly took unrelated individuals to the United Nations conference held in Seville, Spain. The decision to move forward with a police-led investigation was made at a meeting called by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak at 1 PM on Monday. According to an official present at the meeting, preliminary inquiries suggested that individuals not officially associated with the event may have traveled to the conference. As a result, Minister Lekhak instructed a thorough investigation into the matter. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deepak Thapa briefed the meeting that the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and its Anti-Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau have already begun gathering information related to the case.

Madhesh Province Budget Passed Amid Opposition Boycott: The Madhesh Province government’s budget has been passed despite a complete boycott by opposition parties. With zero opposition presence in the assembly, ruling party lawmakers approved the budget through a majority vote. The Appropriation Bill for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 was fast-tracked through the provincial parliament. A controversy had emerged after it was revealed that the red book provided to lawmakers and the one submitted by the Ministry of Finance to the task force differed by 294 pages. Citing financial irregularities, opposition parties boycotted both the budget task force and the assembly meeting on Monday morning.

Government to Provide 37 Types of Cancer Medicines Free of Cost at Four Hospitals: The government has decided to provide 37 types of cancer treatment medicines free of cost through four selected hospitals. This initiative, led by the Ministry of Health and Population, aims to ease the financial burden on cancer patients and improve access to essential care. According to Dr. Bhakta KC, Health Education Administrator and spokesperson for the ministry, the free distribution of medicines will begin once the supply is received. The designated hospitals for this service are Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Sushil Koirala Prakhar Cancer Hospital, and Bir Hospital. These facilities will make the listed cancer drugs available to patients undergoing treatment.

NSU Leaders Arrested Over Protest Against School Education Bill: Ten student leaders from the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), affiliated with the Nepali Congress, were arrested in Kathmandu during protests against the proposed School Education Bill. They were detained after attempting to enter a restricted area near New Baneshwor. The protest escalated, prompting police action. The NSU demands that all teacher appointments be made through 100% open competition. They are also calling for the immediate promulgation of the School Education Bill and rejecting TU Senate meetings held without student representation.

NEPSE Drops by 35.09 points to Settle at 2,726: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index witnessed a significant decline today, falling by 35.09 points to settle at 2,725.71. This marks a drop of 1.27 percent. A total of 211,002,540 shares of 321 companies were traded today in 72,601 transactions, amounting to a total turnover of NPR 8.17 billion. Among the sectoral indices, only the Hydropower group showed a slight increase of 0.15 percent. All other sectors recorded a decline. The Banking sector experienced the largest drop of 2.46 percent, followed by Development Banks at 1.48 percent, Finance at 1.13 percent, Hotels and Tourism at 0.25 percent, Investment at 1.25 percent, Life Insurance at 1.36 percent, and Manufacturing & Processing at 0.78 percent.

ERC to Review and Simplify PPA Templates: The Electricity Regulatory Commission plans to review Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) templates. Currently, different PPAs are used based on project ownership—for example, Chhime, Rasuwagadhi under NEA; Khimti and Bhote Koshi with foreign investment; and regular private investors. To simplify systems and address investor concerns, the ERC is revising the template.

TwoThirds Govt Fails to Spark Economic Growth: Despite being governed by a twothirds majority coalition of the Nepali Congress and UML, the government has not triggered the expected economic uplift within one year. While some indicators show modest improvement compared to when the government was formed, experts say citizens have yet to experience concrete benefits. Nevertheless, the government and the Ministry of Finance are promoting the notion that economic activity has “taken a leap.”

FNCCI and NCC Applaud FY 2025/26 Monetary Policy: The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) have welcomed the FY 2025/26 monetary policy, believing it will boost economic activity and financial facilitation. They particularly appreciate adjustments to workingcapital loan guidance to better align with business types and repayment-income cycles. They urge that such provisions should also apply to production industries and construction.

Electricity Regulatory Commission to Study True Cost of Hydropower: On Sunday, the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) unveiled its annual plan for the upcoming FY 2025/26, which includes a study to determine actual production costs of hydropower projects. Due to ambiguity around real costs, the ERC aims to develop accurate benchmarks. Currently, average cost per megawatt is estimated around NPR 200 million, but governmentbuilt projects appear higher in cost compared to private ones. The commission intends to decide on cost benchmarking.

Bijay Baral and Upasana Singh Thakuri Win Best Actor Awards at National Film Awards 2082: Bijay Baral has won the Best Actor award at the National Film Awards 2082 for his lead role in the film Purnabahadur Ko Sarangi. The film, in which Baral played the central character, was a record-breaking commercial success. Alongside Baral, the film also featured performances by Prakash Saput, Anjana Baraili, Buddhi Tamang, and Mukun Bhusal. It was directed by Saroj Paudel. Similarly, Upasana Singh Thakuri won the Best Actress award for her performance in the film Khusma, directed by Ashok Thapa Magar.

Nepathya to Perform at Wembley Arena Again After 12 Years: Popular Nepali band Nepathya will perform at London’s Wembley Arena on August 9, 12 years after their historic 2013 concert at the same venue. That performance drew over 7,000 fans, becoming a milestone for Nepali music on the global stage. The upcoming show is organized by BSK Entertainment and Parcha Production. Band frontman Amrit Gurung said the 2013 experience was unforgettable and gave Nepathya international recognition. This time, a 14-member team from Nepal, including six musicians and eight crew members, will travel to the UK. Over 7,000 tickets have already been sold, with strong demand continuing. The concert aims to connect with the estimated 100,000+ Nepali diaspora living in the UK.

New Film ‘Munamadan Ko Breakup’ Announced, Directed by Dipendra Lama: A new Nepali film titled ‘Munamadan Ko Breakup’ (Muna and Madan’s Breakup) has been officially announced. The film will be directed by Dipendra Lama, with a script by Samipyaraj Timalsena and Shridhar Paudel serving as executive producer. This marks a reunion of the trio, all with journalism backgrounds, who previously collaborated on the 2018 film ‘Gopi’. So far, Raj Katwal is the only confirmed cast member. He was last seen in the film ‘Narsimha Avatar’. According to director Lama, the rest of the cast is still being finalized. “We signed Katwal because he fits the script well. Our goal is to select actors who best suit the story and characters,” he said.

New Teej Song ‘Ma Bhanda Ramro Kohi’ Released: The Teej song ‘Ma Bhanda Ramro Kohi’ (Who’s Beautiful Than Me) has been released. The song features vocals by singer Pashupati Sharma and singer Niki Thapa and was officially released on singer Thapa’s official YouTube page. The lyrics are by Sajan Kunwar, and the music is composed by Yagya Sapkota. The musical arrangement is done by HBN Kismat. Supporting vocals in the song are provided by Sumitra Mukhiya and Gayatri Magar. The music video, directed by Nishan Baniya, stars actors Pal Shah and Narayani Khatri. The choreography is by Dawa Bal Tamang, and the video was filmed by Buddha Thapa and his team.

Manang Marshyangdi Club Defeats Church Boys United 4–3 in ANFA U-16 Youth League: With a decisive goal from Dharvendra Bohora, Manang Marshyangdi Club secured a thrilling 4–3 victory over Church Boys United in the ANFA U-16 Youth League. In the match held on Monday at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Manang emerged victorious with a 4–3 scoreline. Ram Arjel scored twice for Manang, while Rohan Thapa Magar and Dharvendra each added one goal. For Church Boys, Sushan Thapa Magar netted twice, and Sujit Lama scored one goal. With the win, Manang climbed to second place on the table with 10 points from 4 matches. Meanwhile, Church Boys have managed just 3 points from the same number of games.

Friends Club Defeats Tribhuvan Army Club 3–0 in One-Sided Match: Friends Club secured a convincing 3–0 victory over departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club. In the one-sided encounter, Puran Shrestha and Mandeep Dhungel each scored a goal. Friends benefited from an own goal gifted by an Army player for their third goal. With this, Friends have now won three of their four matches in the league, while Army has suffered their third defeat in as many games.

Kathmandu Xavier to Host Second 3×3 Basketball Tournament from Tuesday: The Second Kathmandu Xavier Public 3×3 Basketball Tournament, organized by Kathmandu Xavier Public School, is set to begin on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference held on Monday, the school’s founding principal R.B. Adhikari said that a total of 64 teams will participate in the tournament. The competition will feature 24 teams each in the Senior Boys and Junior Boys categories, and 16 teams in the Senior Girls category. Matches will be played on a league-cum-knockout basis. According to Khadag KC, the school’s ECA in-charge, the winners of both boys’ and girls’ categories will receive a cash prize of NPR 7,000, while the runners-up will be awarded NPR 5,000.

At Least 30 Killed in Southern Syria Clashes Amid Rising Sectarian Tensions: At least 30 people have died and more than 100 others injured in violent clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters in southern Syria’s Sweida city, according to Syria’s interior ministry. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported a higher death toll of 37. The clashes erupted as Syrian authorities deployed forces to contain escalating tensions in the region. Fighting between minority groups has intensified following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, ending over five decades of Alawite rule. Since the Islamist-led coalition, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized Damascus late last year and ousted Assad, the new government has struggled to restore order across the fractured country.

Israel Pounds Gaza as Criticism Grows of Plans for Camps in Rafah: Israeli forces continue bombarding Gaza a day after killing 95 Palestinians across the Strip, including seven children waiting for water and 17 people at a busy market in Gaza City. Criticisms of Israel’s plan to set up an internment camp in Gaza are growing, with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid saying it would amount to a “concentration camp” if Palestinians there are not allowed to leave. Eight United Nations agencies in Gaza say they may have to stop their operations in Gaza entirely “without adequate fuel” as UNRWA said another infant has died of malnutrition in the Strip on Sunday. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 58,026 people and wounded 138,520, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Trump Says US Will Send Patriot Missiles to Ukraine: United States President Donald Trump has said he will send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine as his administration signals growing disillusionment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to negotiate an end to Moscow’s invasion. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday. “Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said. “So, there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it.” Trump said he had not decided on the number of Patriot batteries he would send to Ukraine, but “they’re going to have some because they do need protection”.

First Indian Astronaut to Go to ISS Is on His Way Back: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), is on his way back. A live broadcast showed the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission undocking from the orbiting laboratory with its four-member crew on Monday. It is expected to splash down in just under 24 hours. Led by former Nasa veteran Peggy Whitson and piloted by Group Captain Shukla, Ax-4 had arrived at ISS on 26 June. Its crew included Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.