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.

Nepali Congress Central Committee Rejects Gagan Thapa’s Resignation

The Central Committee of the Nepali Congress has rejected the resignation of party president Gagan Thapa, who had stepped down citing moral responsibility following the recent electoral setback. Thapa had tendered his resignation, taking ethical accountability for the party’s performance in the polls. Under the party’s statute, the president must submit a resignation to the vice-president, while the Central Committee holds the authority to accept or reject it. A Central Committee meeting that began on Friday and concluded on Sunday decided to reject Thapa’s resignation, citing multiple grounds. According to party leaders, the committee identified structural weaknesses and factors beyond leadership control as the primary causes of the electoral defeat. Members also emphasized that, given the country’s complex and evolving political situation, Thapa’s leadership remains essential. The committee further argued that accepting the resignation could trigger unnecessary instability within the party, create confusion, and weaken the morale of party workers. Since the resignation was voluntary and based on moral grounds rather than compulsion, leaders said it was appropriate to respect the gesture while declining to accept it. The committee underscored the importance of sustaining reform initiatives launched after the party’s special general convention-often referred to as “Congress 2.0.”

Case Filed at Special Court on Irregularities Relating to Pokhara Int’l Airport

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case against 21 persons and two companies on the irregularities relating to the construction of the Pokhara Regional International Airport. The CIAA lodged the case against 21 public officials including then Secretary at Tourism Ministry, Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, and two companies, according to Joint Spokesperson at Special Court, Yagya Raj Regmi. Then Secretary Adhikari, then Managing Directors at Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Sanjiv Gautam and Rajan Pokharel, then Deputy Managing Director at CAAN, Mahendra Singh Rawal, then Director at CAAN, late Dhruba Das Bhochhibhoya, then Director at National Pride Project, Pradip Paudel, then Project Chief at National Pride Project, Baburam Paudel, then Manager at National Pride Project, Chanda Mala Shrestha have been made defendants in the case. Similarly, other officials facing the case together are Prabin Neupane, Binesh Munakarki, Rajaram Chaudhari, Himjyoti Thapa, Narendra Raj Sainju, Pramod Nepal and Sabin Phuyal.

Balen Shah to Be Sworn in as PM on March 27

Balendra Shah aka Balen is set to take the oath of office as Prime Minister on March 27, coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Ram Nawami. The Federal Parliament Secretariat has also begun preparations to organize the swearing-in ceremony on the same day. However, details regarding the oath-taking of ministers have not yet been made public. Kabindra Burlakoti, General Secretary of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), confirmed that Shah will be sworn in on March 27. According to decisions made by the party’s secretariat and central committee, the process of appointing Balen Shah as Prime Minister has been moved forward.

One Woman Dead, Four Injured as Brick Kiln Wall Collapses in Lalitpur

One worker died and four others were injured after a brick kiln wall collapsed in Harisiddhi, Lalitpur, on Sunday. Police say Tilsari Khadka, 55, of Rukum, was crushed by bricks when the wall of Hosana Brick Kiln in Harisiddhi gave way on Sunday morning. According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Gautam Mishra of the District Police Range Lalitpur, the injured have been identified as Janaki Chand, 27, of Rukum; Shanti Kunwar, 27, of Salyan; Nanda Kumari Magar, 46, of Rolpa; and Suma Kumal, 19, of Dang. Police say the injured are receiving treatment at Mediciti Hospital in Lalitpur.

Air Pollution Fizzles out With Rainfall

The air pollution afflicting the country, including the federal capital, Kathmandu, for quite a while has declined remarkably after the rainfall last Friday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 178, making Kathmandu City as the second most polluted city in the world a week back. The AQI has now declined sharply placing the Kathmandu City at AQI 60. It means Kathmandu is the 67th polluted place in the world now. The AQI measurement from 0 to 50 is considered ‘good’ while 51 to 100 ‘requires alertness’, 100 to 150 is ‘unhealthy’, impacting badly the people with respiratory and heart diseases. It is ‘unhealthy for all’ if the AQI ranges from 151 to 200, while the ‘very unhealthy’ stage is 201 to 300 and ‘very dangerous’ in case of the AQI above 300. Officials said that the rainfall coupled with a storm swept away the dust and polluted particles, resulting into clean air.

HPV Vaccines to Be Administered to Children of Four Districts This Week

The government is set to launch a ‘Human Papillomavirus’ (HPV) vaccination campaign against cervical cancer in four districts of the country this week. Head of the Child Health and Immunization Branch of the Department of Health Services, Dr Abhiyan Gautam, said that the vaccination campaign will be conducted in Dolpa, Humla, Jumla and Manang, where schools were closed due to snowfall in February when the vaccination campaign was conducted across the country. HPV vaccines were administered to 6th-grade students and 10-year-old girls outside school throughout the country from February 8 to 27, except in those four districts. Similarly, children from grades 7 to 10 and out-of-school girls aged 11 to 14 were also vaccinated. Dr Gautam, the head of the vaccination branch, stated that during the campaign, 323,000 girls in 73 districts were given the HPV vaccine. Dr Gautam said instructions have been given and health workers trained in those districts to make the necessary preparations for the vaccination campaign. He stated that the main cause of increased risk of cervical cancer is infection from the human papillomavirus, which is why the government has launched a vaccination campaign against it.

Nepal vs Hong Kong Friendly Match Postponed Due to Lack of Approval

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has postponed the international friendly match between Nepal and Hong Kong that was scheduled to be held on March 26 at Dasharath Stadium. According to ANFA, the match had to be called off after it failed to receive permission from the National Sports Council to use the stadium and related physical infrastructure. ANFA had formally requested approval through letters sent on Feb 22 and March 17, seeking access to the ground and facilities including floodlights. However, due to the council’s delay in granting approval, technical difficulties arose, forcing the postponement of the match, ANFA said in a statement issued on Sunday. ANFA has apologized to football fans for the inconvenience caused by the last-minute postponement.

Tax Evasion Complaint Filed Against ANFA President Nembang

KATHMANDU: A complaint has been filed at the Department of Revenue Investigation against Pankaj Bikram Nembang, president of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), alleging tax evasion. The complaint was filed on Sunday by Basanta Rijal of Makwanpur, who claims that Nembang concealed foreign earnings and failed to declare them for tax purposes. According to the filing, Nembang has been receiving an annual payment of USD 80,000 since 2023 after being elected as an executive committee member of the Asian Football Confederation during its congress in Bahrain, with his tenure lasting until 2027. It is alleged that this income has not been reported in Nepal, indicating possible intentional concealment. The complaint also states that the payments were reportedly made through Security International Trade (PAN No: 301441353), with no corresponding disclosure in domestic tax records. Under Nepal’s Income Tax Act 2058 BS, individuals who reside in the country for 183 days or more in a year must declare their worldwide income. Non-compliance can lead to fines, imprisonment, or both. Rijal has further urged authorities to coordinate with AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to verify details of the payments and their purpose.

Veteran Indian Filmmaker Ramesh Sippy to Attend Nepal International Film Festival Opening

Renowned Indian director, producer, and actor Ramesh Sippy will make a special appearance at the opening ceremony of the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF), according to festival chairman KP Pathak. Sippy is confirmed to travel to Kathmandu to attend the event. During the festival, Sippy will share insights on the journey of Indian cinema, as well as his own filmmaking experiences, with Nepali filmmakers and audiences. Organizers believe his presence will help strengthen ties between Nepali and Indian filmmakers and provide valuable exposure to Bollywood’s filmmaking practices and market dynamics. The ninth edition of NIFF is set to begin on April 2, 2026 in Kathmandu, featuring 88 films from 40 countries, along with 10 interactive sessions on various topics. Ramesh Sippy has directed more than a dozen films, including the iconic Bollywood movie Sholay, widely regarded as a milestone in Indian cinema. His most recent directorial venture, Shimla Mirchi, was released in 2020. Over the years, he has worked with major Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Mithun Chakraborty, Rishi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Dharmendra, and Rajesh Khanna.

Iran Strikes Near Israeli Nuclear Research Center as Trump Threatens Attacks on Iranian Power Plants

Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel late Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in dual attacks not far from Israel’s main nuclear research center, while President Donald Trump warned the US will “obliterate” Iranian power plants if it doesn’t fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The developments signaled the war was moving in a dangerous new direction at the start of its fourth week. Trump, who is facing increasing pressure at home to secure the strait as oil prices soar, issued the ultimatum in a social media post while he spent the weekend at his Florida home. Trump said he’s giving Iran 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said the US would destroy “various power plants, starting with the biggest one first!” The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the globe’s oceans, is a critical pathway for the world’s flow of oil. Attacks on commercial ships and threats of further strikes have stopped nearly all tankers from carrying oil, gas and other goods through the passage. That’s also led to cuts in output from some of the world’s largest producers, because their crude has nowhere to go. The Iranian strikes in Israel came after Tehran’s main nuclear enrichment site at Natanz was hit earlier in the day.

Iran Threatens Middle East Infrastructure After Trump Ultimatum

Iran on Sunday threatened to attack key infrastructure across the Middle East if US President Donald Trump follows through on his vow to “obliterate” the Islamic republic’s power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz swiftly reopens. Trump, after signaling he may wind down the war, ratcheted up pressure on Iran’s leadership, announcing a countdown over the Islamic republic’s de facto blockade on the crucial trade route. “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. But Iran’s military operational command responded that if the country’s facilities were hit, “all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US” in the region would be targeted. Tehran’s defiance comes after it retaliated for an attack on its nuclear site at Natanz with two direct hits on southern Israel. Slipping past the country’s air defenses, the missiles crashed into the towns of Dimona, which hosts a nuclear facility, and Arad, wounding more than 100 people. Israel said it launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian capital Tehran on Sunday in response. But Trump turned his attention to the blockaded strait, which typically carries a fifth of the global crude oil trade. The standoff has rattled markets and sent oil prices soaring, with North Sea Brent crude now trading above $105 a barrel, as concerns grow about the long-term consequences for the global economy. Trump has slammed NATO allies as “cowards” and urged them to secure the strait.

Over 80,000 Civilian Places Attacked by US, Israel Since War’s start: Iranian Official

President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pirhossein Kolivand said here Saturday that the United States and Israel have attacked more than 80,000 civilian places since the beginning of their “aggression” against Iran. He made the remarks in an address to foreign media representatives while highlighting the violations of international humanitarian law during the US and Israeli attacks. Kolivand said over 20,000 of the attacked units were located in Tehran and more than 60,000 in other places. He put the number of the targeted commercial units in the country at close to 18,790, noting that 266 medical centers have been hit, and 498 schools have been targeted. He said the strikes have killed 12 members of Iran’s medical staff, and injured over 90 others. Kolivand added that hundreds of people, including children and 231 women, have been killed in Iran since the war’s beginning. Meanwhile, several media reports suggested that more than 1,500 people have been killed in Iran during the war.