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.

378 Depositors Receive First Refunds Under Cooperative Asset Return Plan

The Problematic Cooperative Management Committee initiated its asset return process on Monday, refunding 378 small-scale depositors across three troubled financial entities. This opening phase compensated 215 savers from Kantipur Cooperative, 156 from Shiva Shikhar Multipurpose Cooperative, and seven from Pashupati Cooperative. The committee intends to gradually clear dues by categorizing savers based on total account balances. Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pratibha Rawal stated that aggressive loan recovery campaigns are underway to manage the total liability, which currently stands at approximately Rs 46 billion owed to 76,000 registered cooperative depositors nationwide.

Nepal Bar Association Schedules Lantern Protest Against Supreme Court Administration

The Nepal Bar Association announced a unique lantern protest scheduled for Tuesday at 1:15 PM within the bar premises to condemn recent actions by the Supreme Court administration. General Secretary and Spokesperson Kedar Prasad Koirala stated that the administration went beyond its legal jurisdiction by refusing to register submitted petitions, thereby obstructing the pathway to justice and defying orders from the Acting Chief Justice. Additionally, the association expressed deep regret regarding recent floor speeches by lawmakers Yagyamani Neupane and Samikshya Baskota concerning sub-judice matters, calling upon the Speaker of the House of Representatives to remove those remarks from parliamentary records.

Acting CJ Malla Orders Registration of Writs on Chief Justice’s Recommendation

Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla has ordered the Supreme Court administration to register writ petitions challenging the Constitutional Council’s recommendation of Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma as Chief Justice. She directed that the petitions be registered by 1 PM on Monday and listed for hearing on Tuesday (May 19). The writs, filed by senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi, advocate Prem Raj Silwal, and others, had earlier been rejected by the court administration. The dispute will now be heard to decide whether the petitions should be formally admitted or the rejection upheld.

16 Complaints Filed Against Proposed Chief Justice Manoj Sharma

Sixteen complaints have been filed against proposed Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Sharma, the Federal Parliament Secretariat said. The Parliamentary Hearing Committee had given a 10-day period to register complaints after its May 9 meeting. The hearing process will begin on Tuesday, with complainants asked to attend at Singha Durbar.

Nepal Continues Diplomatic Efforts for Release of Amrit Jha in Iran

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said diplomatic efforts are ongoing to ensure a fair trial and secure the release of Nepali citizen Amrit Jha, who was arrested in Iran on charges of smuggling illegal goods. Jha was detained on Qeshm Island and remains in pre-trial detention in Bandar Abbas. In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry rejected reports circulating on social media and in some media outlets claiming that he had already been released. According to MoFA, Jha and six other foreign nationals were arrested by Iranian security forces in early January 2026, before tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran escalated on February 28. The Ministry said a court-requested expert report is being finalized, while Nepal continues diplomatic efforts through all available channels under Iranian legal procedures.

Nepal Elected Vice President of 79th World Health Assembly

Nepal has been unanimously elected as the Vice President of the 79th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the WHO. According to Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, Deputy Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, the election took place during the opening session the assembly held today in Geneva, Switzerland. Deputy Spokesperson Adhikari also stated that Minister for Health and Population, Nisha Mehata, is scheduled to address the assembly later today on behalf of Nepal. A Nepali delegation led by Minister Mehata had left here for Geneva on Sunday to participate in the global health gathering. The 79th World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva from May 18-23.

Youth, Labor, and Employment Ministry Issues Strict Code of Conduct for Staff

The newly restructured Ministry of Youth, Labor, and Employment issued a comprehensive code of conduct for all ministerial and departmental employees to enforce administrative transparency and discipline. The newly implemented regulation prohibits staff from accepting bribes, gifts, or personal favors and strictly bars using government assets for private purposes. Crucially, the policy bans using social media networks during work hours on office electronics and dictates that workers using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated data modeling tools must maintain absolute data confidentiality. Any public worker found leaking classified agency data or spreading misinformation against state policies will face immediate departmental disciplinary action.

CPN (UML) Secretariat Restores Party Membership to Former President Bhandari

During a CPN (UML) central secretariat meeting chaired by Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli at his private residence in Gundu on Monday, the party formally approved restoring official membership to former President Bidya Devi Bhandari. Deputy General Secretary Lekhraj Bhatta stated that the high-level meeting extensively reviewed government execution, membership renewal guidelines, and leader portfolio distributions. Oli addressed the committee regarding an 11-point structural proposal, which detailed vice-presidential seniority listings, proposed constitutional amendments, and party central office building construction timelines. The next secretariat assembly is scheduled for May 22.

Rastriya Swatantra Party Fixes Candidacy Fees for District Conventions

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) established mandatory registration fees for candidates contesting its upcoming district conventions, scheduled for June 6 and 7. Under the new guidelines, individuals running for District President must pay Rs 5,000, while candidates for Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, and Treasurer face identical fees. General district committee membership requires Rs 1,000. For constituency tiers, deputy coordinators and secretaries must pay Rs 1,000, while members pay Rs 500. This structured framework organizes internal representations ahead of the RSP’s first general convention set for June 21 to 23.

Shram Sanskriti Party MPs Protest in House, Speaker Objects to Placard Display

Members of the Shram Sanskriti Party staged a protest in the House of Representatives on Monday, raising questions over the Prime Minister’s accountability. As soon as Speaker Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal opened the session, the party’s lawmakers stood up from their seats, moved to the front of the House, and displayed placards while protesting. One of the placards read: “Where is the Prime Minister’s accountability?” The protesting lawmakers gathered near the Speaker’s podium, drawing attention to their demands through written slogans. Speaker Aryal, however, objected to the form of protest, stating that displaying placards inside the House is not permitted under parliamentary rules and procedures. “Showing placards in the House is not allowed under our laws and regulations,” he said, adding that there are various ways to express dissent, but they must remain within parliamentary decorum and dignity.

RSP Deputy Leader Parajuli Apologizes for Unparliamentary Remarks

Deputy Leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) parliamentary party, Ganesh Parajuli, has formally apologized in Parliament over remarks deemed unparliamentary. Addressing Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal, Parajuli acknowledged concerns raised over certain words he used during a parliamentary session a few days earlier. “A few days ago, while speaking in this honorable House, I used some words emotionally that were later questioned. Since those words were considered unparliamentary and disrespectful, the Speaker ordered them to be removed from the record,” he said. Parajuli further said “Respecting the Speaker’s directive, and in my role as Chairperson of the House of Representatives Regulation Drafting Committee, I sincerely regret and apologize for the impact and distress my remarks may have caused among the general public.”

Lawmaker Mahabir Pun Demands Patent Office and Raw Material Tax Waivers

Participating in the legislative debates on the Appropriation Bill’s principles on Monday, Member of Parliament Mahabir Pun urged the state to prioritize innovation and industrial development. Pun criticized current economic policies, highlighting the flaw where finished agricultural tools enter tax-free, while raw components face high import duties. Drawing from his operational management experience at the Birgunj Agricultural Tools Factory, he requested multi-year budgeting models for long-term scientific projects and demanded state subsidies for patent registrations. He argued that inventors face high financial barriers because Nepal lacks a functional, standardized domestic patent office.

Harka Raj Rai Protests with Special Placard Demanding Saptakoshi Water Project

During a House of Representatives session on Monday, Shram Sanskriti Party Chairman and lawmaker Harka Raj Rai (Sampang) carried a special placard to criticize the state’s failure to provide basic goods like drinking water, roads, and salt. Debating the Appropriation Bill, Rai demanded immediate budget lines for the Saptakoshi Dharan Drinking Water Project alongside river embankment initiatives for the Sardu, Seuti, Sera, and Andheri rivers. He also requested resources for urban landfill sites and motorable bridges, while offering his party’s voluntary labor to reconstruct damaged Singha Durbar assets without utilizing public funds.

Senior Leader Arjun Narsingh KC Demands Release of Gen Z Probe Report

Speaking during zero hour at the House of Representatives assembly on Monday, senior Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsingh KC demanded the immediate public release of the Gen Z protests probe report. KC expressed strong objections over the government’s delay in publishing the official findings submitted by the high-level judicial investigation commission, which was led by Chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki. The inquiry board was tasked with examining the severe clashes and structural destruction that occurred during the political agitations on September 8 and 9, 2025. He asserted that the document must be distributed to all lawmakers immediately.

Nepali Congress Karnali Unveils 10-Point Unity Formula

The Nepali Congress Karnali Province Working Committee has endorsed a 10-point formula aimed at strengthening party unity and outlining the party’s future direction following a two-day discussion program in Birendranagar, Surkhet. The document calls for the party’s 15th General Convention to be held as a unity convention and urges the Central Disciplinary Committee to withdraw actions and clarifications sought against leaders and cadres nationwide. It also advocates 25 percent youth representation at all party levels, inclusion, and adaptation to technological changes. Other points stress protecting Nepal’s sovereignty and federal democratic system, coordinating democratic forces under Congress leadership, controlling inflation, safeguarding trade union rights, ensuring disaster preparedness, and securing significant budget allocations for Karnali in the fiscal year 2026/27. Province President Lalitjung Shahi described the formula as a roadmap for unity and policy direction.

Lawmaker Sarita Kumari Thakur Takes Oath After RPP Disciplinary Action

Speaker Ram Ashish Yadav officially administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sarita Kumari Thakur, appointing her as a new Member of the Provincial Assembly. Thakur was selected following a decisive ruling passed by the Election Commission on May 13. Her appointment comes as a direct consequence of strict disciplinary actions taken by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) against former lawmaker Kanchan Bichha. Bichha was stripped of her legislative status after she defied official party instructions, refusing to resign from her ministerial post in the CPN (UML)-led provincial government coalition.

National Women’s Commission Vacates Bhadrakali, to be Relocate Inside Narayanhiti

The National Women’s Commission completed its administrative transition into the former Passport Department building premises located inside Narayanhiti, aiming to fully operationalize services within a week. Commission Spokesperson Krishna Kumari Poudel Khatiwada stated that the agency’s 1145 emergency helpline and legal complaint desk will shortly relocate from their temporary Bhadrakali hub. The strategic move to a public facility follows a May 5 prime ministerial directive facilitated by Balendra Shah’s research aide Dipa Dahal, successfully freeing the constitutional entity from paying a monthly rental obligation of Rs 400,000.

Decision to Revoke Licenses of 36 Non-Resident Doctors

The Nepal Medical Council has suspended its decision to revoke the licenses of 36 non-resident doctors following strong protests against the move. The council had earlier decided in two phases to remove the names of 36 non-resident doctors from its registration records. However, after widespread criticism, a full meeting of the council held on May 12 decided to temporarily retain their names in the registration book. Earlier, the council had decided to cancel the registrations of 19 doctors who had renounced Nepali citizenship and obtained foreign passports.

Kathmandu Traffic Penalizes 1,962 Rules Violators, Raising Rs 889K Revenue

The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office conducted stringently managed operations over the last 24 hours, penalizing 1,962 vehicle operators and collecting Rs 889,000 in public revenue. Under the operational supervision of Spokesperson and Superintendent of Police Naresh Raj Subedi, safety teams booked 905 individuals for general road infractions, apprehended 102 drivers operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol, and fined 147 ride-sharing operators. Additional enforcement statistics included 211 red-light violations, 197 speeding tickets, 53 lane infractions, 88 sidewalk encroachments, 116 horn-prohibition violations, and 143 illegal entries onto one-way streets to control rising city accident risks.

Nepal Climbs to Fifth in League-2 After Six-Wicket Victory Over Scotland

Nepal secured a six-wicket victory over league-leaders Scotland in the ICC Cricket World Cup League-2 match at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground on Monday, May 18 [Jestha 4]. Bowling first, Nepal dismissed Scotland for 194 runs in 39.1 overs, with Lalit Rajbansi taking 4/32 and Sandeep Lamichhane claiming 3/47. Nepal chased the 195-run target in 38.1 overs, finishing on 195/4 after captain Rohit Paudel hit a match-winning six off Michael Leask to remain unbeaten on 74 runs alongside Ishan Pandey’s 55 runs. This victory moves Nepal up two spots to fifth place, overtaking Canada and Namibia.

Madhesh Sports Council Starts Provincial Games Budgeted at Rs 25.5 Million

The Madhesh Sports Council inaugurated its provincial-level sports tournament, “Kheli Madhesh, Jiti Madhesh,” at the Janakpurdham Covered Hall on Monday. Council Member Secretary Shivaji Prasad Kanu and Madhesh Province Volleyball Association President Gyanendra Kumar Yadav announced that the event is budgeted at Rs 25.5 million and features 19 athletic categories, including football, volleyball, and judo. The competition involves 2,472 athletes across eight districts, with individual district contingents comprising 167 male players, 108 female players, 18 coaches, and 10 managers. First-place cash prizes are set at Rs 25,000, second-place at Rs 15,000, and third-place at Rs 10,000.

Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol Attends Cannes Festival to Promote Nepali Cinema

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Acting Chief Sunita Dangol traveled to France to attend the prestigious Cannes Film Festival following an official invitation extended by the Mayor of Cannes. Though the Film Development Board did not send official personnel, it set up an active promotional stall where actor Pradeep Khadka and director Pradeep Shahi are marketing upcoming projects, including the joint Nepal-Bhutan film initiative ‘Tunnel 26’. On the entrepreneurial front, Bhupendra Khanal and Sneha Sharma generated international media coverage by promoting a domestic Himalayan chhurpi brand on the red carpet. The May 23 concluding festival features the premiere of Abhinash Bikram Shah’s feature film ‘Elephants in the Fog’ under the Un Certain Regard category.

Lalibajar Gross at Rs 34.2 Million

Official theater logs published by the Film Development Board up to Saturday midnight revealed that the movie ‘Lalibajar’ collected an encouraging Rs 34.2 million gross over its nine-day screening period. The movie, which premiered on May 8, drew a total of 114,486 cinema viewers nationwide. Conversely, Ram Krishna Dhakal’s simultaneous release ‘Malati Mangale’ generated a lower revenue footprint of Rs 4.4 million from 13,890 viewers, while ‘Guruama’ pulled Rs 2.8 million from 8,974 admissions. Meanwhile, Prakash Saput’s trending feature film ‘Paral Ko Aago’ maintained a dominant run, amassing Rs 42.2 million gross from 151,928 ticket purchases.

Michael Jackson Biopic Grosses Over $703 at Global Box Office

The musical biopic film ‘Michael’ achieved an international financial milestone, grossing over USD 703 million worldwide by its fourth week of screening. Jointly distributed by Universal and Lionsgate, the movie pulled USD 57.7 million from 83 overseas territories over the weekend, pushing its total international earnings to USD 421 million and domestic US haul to USD 282 million. Concurrently, Disney’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, produced on a USD 100 million budget, reached USD 546.2 million, while Warner Bros’ ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ stood at USD 101 million, and Amazon MGM’s ‘Sheep Detective’ accumulated USD 58.7 million.

Canada Confirms 1st Hantavirus Case

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has confirmed a case of hantavirus in a cruise passenger currently isolating in British Columbia following laboratory testing. PHAC said in a statement on Sunday that samples from British Columbia were sent to the agency’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg for confirmatory testing. According to the agency, one individual’s sample was confirmed positive for hantavirus on Saturday. A second individual, a traveling partner of the confirmed case, was confirmed negative. No additional cases have been identified so far. PHAC said all high-risk contacts are isolating and will continue to be closely monitored by local public health authorities, adding that the overall risk to the general population in Canada remains low at this time. The outbreak occurred aboard the polar expedition cruise ship MV Hondius and has resulted in three deaths so far. The incubation period for hantavirus generally ranges from one to eight weeks.

Pope Leo to Unveil First Major AI Doctrine on May 25

Pope Leo XIV is set to release his first major doctrinal document focused on artificial intelligence on May 25, outlining the Vatican’s concerns over the technology’s impact on humanity, warfare, and workers’ rights. The encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), will address the protection of human dignity in the age of AI and is expected to become the Catholic Church’s most comprehensive guidance on the issue to date. The pope will personally present the document at the Vatican alongside AI researcher Chris Olah, co-founder of Anthropic. The document is also expected to criticize the military use of AI and raise concerns over economic inequality, labor conditions, and the growing influence of technology on society.

Pakistan Deploys Troops, Fighter Jets to Saudi Arabia Amid Iran Conflict

Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones, and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense agreement signed last year, according to security and government sources. The deployment reportedly includes a squadron of about 16 JF-17 fighter aircraft, Chinese-made HQ-9 air defense systems, and additional drone units operated by Pakistani personnel with Saudi financing. Sources said the forces are intended to strengthen Saudi defense capabilities amid tensions linked to the Iran conflict. Pakistan has also been acting as a key mediator in regional diplomacy, helping facilitate ceasefire efforts between Washington and Tehran. The two countries have long maintained close military ties, with Pakistan previously providing troops, training, and defense support to Saudi Arabia.