KATHMANDU: Stay updated with Nepal News’ evening briefing, bringing you the day’s most important developments from Nepal and across the globe. From politics and economy to sports, entertainment, and culture, we deliver a concise roundup of the top news you need to know.

UML Central Secretariat to Convene on Tuesday

The CPN (UML) has summoned its central Secretariat meeting for Tuesday.  According to Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, Secretary of the UML, the meeting is called to deliberate on the contemporary political situation, upcoming March 5 election to House of Representatives and preparation regarding the preparation for the second central committee’s meeting. The meeting will commence at the party office at Chyasal, Lalitpur at 9:00 AM onwards while the second central committee meeting is scheduled to take place from January 11-13 in Kathmandu.

District Administration Imposes Curfew Order in Birgunj

The District Administration Office, Parsa, has issued a curfew order in Birgunj Municipal Corporation, with effect from 6:00 pm today to 8:00 am tomorrow. After protests continued despite the prohibitory order issued from 1:00 pm today, Parsa Chief District Officer Bhola Dahal issued the curfew order. He said that the curfew order was issued to maintain law and order in view of the potential risk between the two communities.  The local administration has stated that no gatherings, processions or sit-ins will be allowed in the Bus Park area in the east, Sirsiapul in the west, Powerhouse Chowk in the north and Shankaracharya Gate in the south. The administration has stated that essential service vehicles will be allowed to ply during the curfew period. The administration had issued the prohibitory order prohibiting any gatherings, meetings, processions or demonstrations in the Birgunj metropolitan area from 1:00 pm today until further notice.

Inquiry Commission Lifts Travel Restriction on Former PM Oli

The Commission formed to probe the incidents related to the September 8–9 Gen Z movement has decided to withdraw the travel restrictions imposed on former Prime Minister and CPN (UML) Chair KP Sharma Oli. A meeting of the Commission held today decided to revoke its September 28 decision that barred Oli from traveling abroad and from leaving the Kathmandu Valley without prior approval from the Commission. According to Commission member and spokesperson Bigyan Raj Sharma, Oli was questioned in his capacity as the then Prime Minister, after which the restrictions were lifted. A Commission team had reached Oli’s residence at Gundu, Bhaktapur on Sunday as part of the inquiry. Chairman Oli submitted his response in writing.

UML Intensifies Nomination Process for March 5 Election Candidates

The CPN (UML) has intensified the nomination process for the candidates of the upcoming election to the House of Representatives under the first-past-the-post system. District and electoral constituency committees continue to recommend candidates for the election. From some districts, single names have been proposed, while others have recommended the names of all aspiring candidates. According to Party Secretary Mahesh Basnet, 24 electoral constituencies had recommended single candidates. They are: Jhapa-5 (KP Sharma Oli), Rupandehi-2 (Bishnu Paudel), Dang-2 (Shankar Pokhrel), Kailali-4 (Lekhraj Bhatta), Bhaktapur-2 (Mahesh Basnet), Gulmi-2 (Pradeep Gyawali), Kathmandu-5 (Ishwor Pokhrel), Siraha-3 (Leelanath Shrestha), Rautahat-1 (Ajay Gupta), Sarlahi-3 (Hari Upreti), Nawalpur-2 (Tilak Mahat), Gorkha-2 (Milan Gurung), Nuwakot-1 (Badri Mainali), Banke-1 (Surya Dhakal), Banke-3 (Dal Bahadur Sunar), Kapilvastu-1 (Bishram Chaudhary), Ilam-2 (Suhang Nembang), Mahottari-1 (Laxmi Mahato Koiri), Surkhet-1 (Dhruba Shahi), Surkhet-2 (Kaladhar Devkota), Salyan (Gulabjung Shah), Kathmandu-2 (Maniram Phuyal), Baitadi (Damodar Bhandari), and Darchula (Ganesh Thagunna).

Attorney General Presents Annual Report Before President

An annual report of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for the fiscal year, 2024/25 has been submitted before President Ramchandra Paudel. At a programme organised at Sheetal Niwas today, Attorney General Sabita Bhandari submitted the annual report before President Paudel. The report incorporated the activities carried out by the office and its subordinate bodies in the fiscal year, 2024/25. Out of total cases, writs and applications filed by the public prosecutors, 75,165 disputes were settled. Of them, 66.34 percent were settled in favour of the government. OAG and its subordinate offices issued the order for mediation in 2,612 cases where 3,075 were defendants. Similarly, decisions were made not to submit cases against 4,841 persons implicated in various 4,527 cases. Similarly, legal opinions were sought from the OAG and its subordinates on 52 issues in the past fiscal year, but the suggestion were provided only on 47 issues.

Cabinet Decisions: Govt to Mobilise Funds for Welfare of Gen Z Martyrs’ Families

The government has decided to provide grants to the Gen Z Martyrs’ Families’ Welfare Society. A meeting of the Council of Ministers held today made the decision, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Government Spokesperson, Jagadish Kharel. Similarly, the meeting approved a labour agreement to be signed between the governments of Nepal and Israel. It also agreed to accept a memorandum of understanding to be signed between Nepal and Oman. The government endorsed Order-2082 relating to the use of petrol blended with ethanol and approved the Forest Third Amendment Rules, 2082 BS. The Minister further shared Om Bahadur Khadka was promoted to the post of Additional Chief Investigation Director of the National Investigation Department. The Cabinet also promoted Ghanashyam Parajuli to the post of Deputy Auditor General under the Nepal Audit Service group. Likewise, the meeting decided to nominate Kul Prasad Neupane as a member of the management committee responsible for managing the assets and settling the liabilities of problematic cooperatives.

Egg Price Drops by Rs 90 Per Crate

The price of eggs has been decreased. The Nepal Layers Poultry Association has stated that the farm price has been reduced by Rs 90 per crate. The updated prices will be effective from tomorrow. As a result, the price of large-sized eggs (30 pieces) has dropped from Rs 565 to Rs 475 per crate at the farm. Similarly, the price of medium-sized eggs has decreased from Rs 550 to Rs 460 per crate. According to Binod Pokharel, chairman of the association, the support price is determined based on the rate from large farms, leading to a reduction in consumer prices from Rs 25 to Rs 20 per piece. Chairman Pokhrel stated that with the current lower consumption and higher production compared to the past, the demand for eggs will increase again as winter subsides and daily life becomes easier. “The production cost of eggs is Rs 19.12 per egg. Calculating this, the cost price for farmers is Rs 574.06 per crate. If the price of eggs drops again when it is close to the cost price, farmers will incur additional losses,” he said. The association has been adjusting the support price of eggs according to the market demand.

Rs 133.5 Million Collected in Govt Fund for Restoration After Gen Z Movement

A total of Rs 133.5 million has been collected so far in a government fund established to restore physical properties damaged during arson and vandalism occurred during the September 8–9 Gen Z movement. According to the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance, Tanka Prasad Pandeya, as of this morning, Rs 133,565,000 has been deposited in the Fund. Siddhartha Premier Insurance Limited today contributed Rs 10.1 million to the fund under its Institutional Social Responsibility initiative. Last week, insurance company MetLife Nepal deposited Rs 2.5 million, while earlier the Oriental Insurance had chipped in Rs 2 million. The fund was established in the aftermath of the Gen Z movement, calling on the public, private sector, non-resident Nepalis, development partners, and donor agencies for their assistance. The government has also provided provisions allowing contributors to deduct or claim expenses while calculating their taxable income for the current fiscal year. Anyone wishing to chip in the fund can deposit the amount in the Rastriya Banijya Bank account number 1960100102070004.

T-20 World Cup Trophy Coming to Nepal a Proud Moment, Says President Paudel

President Ramchandra Paudel has said that the T-20 World Cup trophy coming to Nepal is a proud moment for the country. At the World Cup trophy unveiling ceremony held at the Rastrapati Bhawan in Sheetal Niwas today, he expressed the view that this historic occasion has spread the message that Nepal is moving towards the center of world cricket. “Cricket has played an important role in uniting the country, and with its professional development the foundation for building a bright future for Nepali youth through the sports is also becoming stronger,” he said. President Paudel expressed gratitude to the International Cricket Council for bringing the World Cup trophy to Nepal, leading to increased enthusiasm among Nepali cricket fans. He also expressed his best wishes for the women’s and men’s national cricket teams participating in the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers to be held in Nepal and the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka respectively.

EU Urges Calm, Restraint to Avoid Escalation in Venezuela

The European Union (EU) on Sunday urged all parties to show “calm and restraint” to prevent further escalation and to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis in Venezuela, following the U.S. military action against Venezuela. In a statement issued by the EU’s High Representative, the bloc said the principles of international law and the UN Charter “must be upheld” under all circumstances, adding that members of the UN Security Council have a particular responsibility to defend those principles. The statement was backed by 26 EU member states, all except Hungary, according to the text released by the European External Action Service. Earlier on Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of Venezuela,” according to a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.

Bangladesh Says At Least 287 Killed During Hasina-Era Abductions

A Bangladesh commission investigating disappearances during the rule of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina said Monday at least 287 people were assumed to have been killed. The commission said some corpses were believed to have been dumped in rivers, including the Buriganga in the capital, Dhaka, or buried in mass graves. The government-appointed commission, formed after Hasina was toppled by a mass uprising in August 2024, said it had investigated 1,569 cases of abductions, with 287 of the victims presumed dead. “We have identified a number of unmarked graves in several places where the bodies were presumably buried,” Nur Khan Liton, a commission member, told AFP. “The commission has recommended that Bangladesh seek cooperation from forensic experts to identify the bodies and collect and preserve DNA samples from family members.”

Pilot Killed in Small Plane Crash in Massachusetts, USA

A small plane crashed and burst into flames at Provincetown Municipal Airport in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States, killing the pilot, who was the sole occupant. In a press release, US authorities stated that fire and emergency crews extinguished the blaze at the crash site at the tip of the Cape Cod peninsula. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that the aircraft was a Cessna 172N and launched an investigation into the circumstances and causes of the crash, without providing any initial indications regarding the likely cause. Provincetown is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Boston, at the tip of the Cape Cod peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern Massachusetts.