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.

PM Oli Holds Bilateral Meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The meeting took place in Tianjin while PM Oli was in China attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit. According to his private secretariat, the bilateral discussion between the two leaders was conducted in Tianjin. Prior to that Oli visited the Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Museum located in Nankai District. He also visited a special rice production hub in Jinan district of Tianjin on Sunday.

PM Oli Schedules Bilateral Talks with Russian President Putin

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow during his five-day visit to China. The bilateral meeting will take place at Tianjin’s Meijiang Convention Center and is expected to last around 30 minutes, focusing on matters of mutual interest, according to a senior official from Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister Oli arrived in China on Saturday to participate in the SCO Summit and held talks with President Xi Jinping, highlighting issues including the China-India Lipulekh agreement.

Leaders of CPN (Unified Socialist) Faction Hold Meeting in Baneshwor

Leaders of the Jhalnath–Ghanshyam faction of the CPN (Unified Socialist) held a meeting at Baneshwor Campus, New Baneshwor. The discussion focused on setting the agenda for upcoming Central Committee and Standing Committee meetings of the party. Participants included Standing Committee member Hari Parajuli, Politburo members Laxman Lamsal and Nareshkumar Shahi, and Central Committee members Sushil Bhattarai and Manakumari Saud, among others.

Dr. Govinda KC Launches Hunger Strike Against Seat Hike in Private Medical Colleges

Medical education reform activist Dr. Govinda KC has begun a hunger strike at Geta Medical College in Dhangadhi, protesting the government’s decision to increase MBBS seats in private colleges. On Sunday afternoon, Dr. KC held a press conference at Geta Medical College announcing the start of his ‘satyagraha’ (civil resistance). He said the recent move by the Medical Education Commission, which in its 21st meeting raised MBBS seats by 1,359 to a total of 2,635, and BDS seats to 625, was against the spirit of education reform.

UML Cadres Defy Party Orders, Welcome Ex-President Bhandari in Bara

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari visited Bara on Sunday as part of her Madhesh Province tour, attending a program organized by the Madan Bhandari Foundation. Before the program, Bhandari visited the Gadhimai temple. Speaking at the event, she expressed surprise and delight at the local committee’s initiative. “We had celebrated his 74th birth anniversary in Kathmandu and planned to take discussions about Madan Bhandari to the younger generation,” she said, urging students and youth to pursue studies freely while learning about their country.

NUP Central Committee Meeting Held in Kathmandu Amid Factional Boycott

The Central Committee meeting of the Nagrik Unmukti Party (NUP) was held in Kathmandu, featuring a banner displaying Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha on one side and Patron Resham Chaudhary on the other. The meeting, which Resham Chaudhary’s faction boycotted, lasted for two days. Party leaders said discussions focused on amendments to the party constitution, nomination of central members, updates to the Election Commission, and by-election matters. In addition to central members, elected representatives from the party at federal, provincial, and local levels also participated in the meeting.

16 APF Officers Relieved of Command

Following weaknesses in revenue collection and performance at border customs, 16 armed police officers, including an SP and DSPs, were relieved of their responsibilities. The decision came after a review found deficiencies in revenue collection and operational performance among armed police officials deployed as commanders in various units. According to Armed Police Force, the Prime Minister’s Office removed 16 officers from command, including 1 SP, 1 DSP, 7 Inspectors, 6 Sub-Inspectors, and 1 Assistant Sub-Inspector.

RSP Aspirants Meet Rabi Lamichhane at Nakkhu Jail

Ahead of the Rupandehi-3 by-election, aspirants of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) visited President Rabi Lamichhane at Nakkhu Jail in Lalitpur, where he is held in connection with the Supreme Cooperative fraud and organized crime case. On Sunday, nine aspirants met Lamichhane, who advised that only one among them would be nominated, and those not chosen should support the selected candidate. Quoting Lamichhane, one aspirant said, “Among the nine of us, only one will contest the election. No one should create obstacles for him. With one and a half years remaining, we will settle the nine of you properly; nothing will be left unfinished. Don’t be egoistic—2027 is coming soon, and we will settle things one way or another.”

Two Arrested for Kidney Trafficking from Nepal, Apprehended in India

Police arrested two individuals on charges of kidney trafficking from Nepal while they were residing in India. The arrested were 38-year-old Shyam Krishna Bhandari from Sunkoshi Rural Municipality-2, Sindhupalchok, and 29-year-old Sujan Bharti from Indrawati Rural Municipality-2. SSP Krishna Pangeni of the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau stated that Bhandari and Bharti were apprehended from Mahendranagar and Parsa, respectively. Both had allegedly been involved in trafficking young women’s kidneys from Nepal while living in India for a long time. Police sources, however, indicated that they were arrested from New Delhi, India.

NEPSE Opens Week in Red; Down 31 Points

The Nepal stock market opened the week on a negative note on Sunday, with the NEPSE index falling 31.17 points (1.12%). Sensitive and float indices also declined, and total turnover dropped to NRs 6.6 billion from Thursday’s Rs 8.9 billion. Among listed companies, 21 gained, 228 fell, and one remained unchanged. Unnati Sahakarya Laghubitta led the gainers with a 6.77% rise, while Nepal Republic Media fell the most at 7.45%. Major sectors including development banks, finance, hydropower, and tourism recorded losses.

NRB Maintains Counter-Cyclical Buffer at Zero Percent for FY 2025/26

Nepal Rastra Bank has set the counter-cyclical buffer for banks and financial institutions at zero percent. The move under the Capital Adequacy Framework will help institutions maintain liquidity and encourage economic expansion.

Minister Assures Urea Fertilizer Will Be Available Within 10 Days

Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ramnath Adhikari assured that urea fertilizer imported from India will be readily available within 10 days. Speaking at an event in Chandrauta, he said the fertilizer from Kolkata will arrive in 7–10 days, ensuring farmers have easy access. He further stated that fertilizer distribution should be based on arable land and production requirements to avoid shortages and ensure fair allocation.

Govt Faces Challenge to Install 2.5 Million Embossed Number Plates by November 27

The government faces a challenge to print and install 2.5 million embossed number plates by November 27. So far, 1.2 million plates have been ordered, of which 800,000 have been printed. Completing the work on time seems difficult, and the government may face penalties. The latest contract states that if the work is not completed by November 27, 2025 the government will incur fines.

Clean Notes Exchange Starts from September 14

For Dashain, clean notes can be exchanged from September 14 to September 26. Nepal Rastra Bank announced that notes can be exchanged at its Thapathali office and provincial offices in Biratnagar, Janakpur, Birgunj, Pokhara, Siddharthanagar, Nepalgunj, and Dhangadhi. Authorized Class A, B, and C bank branches can also exchange notes for the general public and associations during working hours.

TV Serial ‘Hira’ Portrays Life of a Widowed Woman

A new TV serial ‘Hira’, based on the life struggles of a widowed woman, has been produced. The production company Chhatreshwari Management Pvt. Ltd. released the trailer and announced that the serial will start airing from September 4. According to the trailer, the serial highlights the social challenges faced by a single woman, including caste-based discrimination and social exclusion. Based on a family drama, the production company has also given the serial the slogan “Katha Gharghar Ko” (Stories from Every Home).

Film Development Board Distributes ‘Distinguished Filmmaker ID Cards’

The Film Development Board on Sunday distributed ‘Distinguished Filmmaker ID Cards’ to active artists and technical professionals in the film industry. The event was held at the board’s auditorium under the chief patronage of Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, where 86 film industry professionals received the ID cards. Minister Gurung honored artists and technical experts who have contributed to the film sector for many years by presenting the ID cards.

Dinesh Raut Announces New Film ‘Kumari’

Filmmaker Dinesh Raut has announced his new movie ‘Kumari’. The announcement was made during a grand event held on Friday evening at Tundikhel, Kathmandu. The event introduced Avishesh Khadka and Aakriti Rajbhandari as the main cast. The atmosphere was further enlivened by a performance from singer Kehar Singh Limbu and his band ‘Kehar and the Lunga’. Limbu announced that he will make his playback singing debut with this film and performed the song ‘Kaha Chhau’ from the movie. Dinesh Raut, who started his directing career with ‘I Am Sorry’, is known for his successful romantic films such as ‘November Rain’ and ‘Classic’.

Nepali Short Film ‘Rihana’ to Have World Premiere at Busan International Film Festival

The Nepali short film ‘Rihana’ is set to have its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival. According to the festival website, the film will be featured in the Asian Short Film Competition category. The premiere is scheduled for September 21–22. Producer Kedar Bhusal said this achievement continues the effort to bring Nepali stories to a global audience. He stated, “We are working to present diverse Nepali stories through different formats to reach audiences worldwide. This selection has given me great encouragement and inspiration.”

Nepal ‘A’ Secures Back-to-Back Victory Against Assam in Practice Series

Nepal ‘A’ cricket team clinched its second consecutive win over Assam Cricket Association, defeating the hosts by 9 runs in a thrilling encounter held on Saturday night. The victory was powered by a brilliant half-century from Sandeep Jora. With this win, Nepal now leads the five-match T20 practice series 2–1. Earlier, Nepal had lost the opening match by 15 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method, before bouncing back strongly to win the second game by 96 runs. Opting to bat first after losing the toss, Nepal played out the full 20 overs and set a target of 197, finishing on 196 for 6 wickets. Sandeep Jora top-scored with a superb 74 off 48 balls. Adil Alam contributed 35 runs, Tirtharaj Das 33, and captain Anil Kumar Sah 31.

Ayush Ghalan to Captain Nepal U-23 Team in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

Winger Ayush Ghalan will captain the Nepal U-23 football team in the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Head coach Nabin Neupane has entrusted him with the captaincy for the tournament. Ayush has previously led Nepal at various youth levels. The competition is scheduled to take place in Tajikistan from September 3 to 9. Nepal has been drawn into Group K, alongside hosts Tajikistan, Syria, and the Philippines. Nepal will open the tournament against the host nation Tajikistan on September 3, followed by matches against Syria on September 6 and the Philippines on September 9.

St. Xavier’s Wins Inter-School A-Level Futsal Tournament Organized by Global Reach

St. Xavier’s emerged victorious in the Inter-School A-Level Futsal Tournament organized by Global Reach on the occasion of its seventh anniversary. In the final held at Dhuku Futsal on Saturday, St. Xavier’s defeated Premier International IB Continuum School 4-3 in a penalty shootout. The regulation 40-minute match had ended 1-1, leading to the tiebreaker. A total of 16 colleges from the valley participated in the competition. Global Reach stated that the tournament was organized as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative.

Nepal Taekwondo Association Objects to Awards Presented by National Sports Council

The Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA) has expressed objection to the awards and honors presented by the National Sports Council (NSC) on the occasion of its 62nd anniversary, condemning the decisions made during the event. The NSC organized the ceremony on August 29, recognizing athletes, coaches, staff, sports federations, sponsors, and journalists across various categories. In a press release issued on Sunday, the Taekwondo Association stated that the NSC is traditionally expected to evaluate and recognize achievements based on actual performance and merit, rather than being influenced by sponsors.

China and India Pledge to Be ‘Partners Not Rivals’

The leaders of China and India say there is now deepening trust between them after years of tension that includes a long-running border dispute. China’s President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the port city of Tianjin. It is Modi’s first time in China in seven years. Xi told Modi that China and India should be partners, not rivals while Modi said there was now an “atmosphere of peace and stability” between them.

Thousands Attend Australia Anti-Immigration Rallies

Thousands of Australians have turned out for anti-immigration rallies across the country that were condemned by the government as having far-right links and “spreading hate”. March for Australia rallies took place in Sydney, Melbourne and other major cities – and several clashes took place as marchers were met with counter demonstrations. A number of opposition politicians joined the marches, including One Nation senator Pauline Hanson and federal MP Bob Katter. Australia has faced a recent rise in right-wing extremism and made the Nazi salute punishable by a mandatory prison term earlier this year.

Houthis Confirm Their Prime Minister Killed in Israeli Strike

Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement has confirmed that its self-proclaimed Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi was killed in an Israeli air strike earlier this week. The Iran-backed group said several other senior officials were killed when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Thursday. The IDF said Rahawi and other senior Houthi officials were “eliminated” when Israeli fighter jets struck a gathering in the Sanaa area. The Houthis have controlled much of north-western Yemen since 2014, after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa and triggering a devastating civil war.

Chicago Mayor Signs Order to Resist Potential Trump Crackdown

The mayor of Chicago has signed an order detailing how the city will resist a potential immigration crackdown threatened by the Trump administration. “We do not need nor want an unconstitutional and illegal military occupation of our city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat. The order directs city agencies on how to respond to possible immigration enforcement actions. Trump has already deployed about 2,000 troops to Washington DC, and has threatened to extend the order to Chicago, which he says is a “mess”. There are also reports the