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.

President Returns Amendment Bill On Constitutional Council to House for Reconsideration: Amid mounting pressure from lawmakers of the ruling Nepali Congress, President Ramchandra Paudel has returned the amendment bill related to the Constitutional Council (Duties, Functions, Rights, and Procedures) Act, 2066, to the House of Representatives for reconsideration. According to the President’s Press Advisor Kiran Pokharel, the bill was sent back on Thursday for further review. Pokharel said the President returned the bill to the originating House citing that the amendment contradicted the spirit and principles of the Constitution, democratic norms and values, and international democratic practices. The move was made under Article 113 (3) of the Constitution.

RSP and RPP Continue Boycott of House Session: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) boycotted Thursday’s House of Representatives session, protesting the lack of a parliamentary special investigation or high-level judicial probe into the visit visa controversy. RSP MP Dr. Toshima Karki stated they would continue their boycott until a committee is formed to investigate as per their demands. RPP MP Deepak Bahadur Singh echoed similar concerns, saying their opposition would persist until their call for a probe committee is met. Following their statements, MPs from both parties left the meeting hall in protest.

Bidya Bhandari to Hold Press Conference Tomorrow After UML Cancels Her Membership: After CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli blocked even her renewed party membership, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari is set to make a formal statement on Friday. She will hold a press conference at 3 PM on Friday at Karki Banquet in Babarmahal, Kathmandu, to publicly express her position. The UML Central Committee meeting, held from July 20 for three days, had decided to revoke even Bhandari’s general party membership, effectively barring her from re-entering UML politics.

Former President Bhandari Says Nepal Has Entered a Crucial Phase After the Establishment of the Republic: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stated that Nepal has entered an important phase following the establishment of the republic. Addressing the ‘Rising Nepal Summit’ organized by NepalKhabar, she said that Nepal is now advancing on the path to prosperity. “I consider the initiative organized by NepalKhabar.com, which fosters important debates and discussions alongside ideas to pave the way for prosperity, as a significant program,” she said during her speech. “After the establishment of the federal democratic republic, we have crossed a crucial phase. Now, we have entered the phase of economic prosperity.”

RSP MP Karki Declares Oli Govt No Longer Legitimate: Dr. Tosima Karki, Member of Parliament from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has stated that the government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has lost its legitimacy. Addressing Thursday’s session of the House of Representatives, she said none of the promises made by the current government have been fulfilled. Although the government pledged to amend the constitution, its achievements so far amount only to the sale of people and government land, she said. Dr. Karki also accused the government of applauding those involved in corruption.

 Prachanda Pledges Support for Senior Citizens’ Demands: Maoist Centre Chair and former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has pledged full support to address senior citizens’ concerns. During a meeting with the National Federation of Senior Citizens, he was urged to help resolve issues like lack of citizenship for over 2,500 elderly, old-age allowance reform, transport discounts, and representation in the National Assembly. Calling the demands just, Prachanda assured, “I’ll do my best. The Maoist Centre will take positive steps to address them.”

No More Airports Just to Boost Leaders’ Votes, Says Yogesh Bhattarai: CPN-UML Secretary and Member of Parliament Yogesh Bhattarai has said that airports should no longer be constructed just to increase the vote bank of political leaders. Speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee, Bhattarai noted that Nepal currently has 55 airports, but only 32 of them are in operation. He argued that it is inappropriate for the government to continue proposing new airports in its policies and programs when many existing ones remain unused.

Dev Gurung Claims UML’s Decision Not to Renew Bidya Bhandari’s Membership Violates Constitution: Dev Gurung, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), has argued that the UML’s decision to not renew former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s party membership goes against Article 17 of Nepal’s Constitution, which protects fundamental rights. He reasoned that the Constitution does not strip former presidents of their citizenship, and Article 17 guarantees political freedom to all Nepalese citizens. In a Facebook post, General Secretary Gurung wrote, “Article 17 grants every Nepalese citizen the freedom to form political parties, join any party, and engage in political activities. This freedom can only be restricted if the person is not a citizen or acts against national sovereignty.”

Russian Embassy defies Telegram ban, keeps channel active in Nepal: The Russian Embassy in Nepal has confirmed that its official Telegram channel remains operational, even as access may be disrupted due to the Nepal government’s recent move to block the messaging platform. In a statement posted on its verified Facebook page, the embassy informed its subscribers: “The official Telegram channel of the Embassy continues to operate. However, due to the decision of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to block the platform within the country, access to our account may be subject to disruptions.”

SC Issues Interim Order to Halt Implementation of Iodized Salt (Production and Sale) Act: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending the implementation of the ‘Iodized Salt (Production and Sale) Act 1998.’ The joint bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Mahesh Sharma Paudel issued the order on July 14, directing that the Act not be enforced starting from July 17. The order notes that nearly 25 years have passed since the enactment of the law, but the necessary regulations—considered a prerequisite for implementing the Act—have yet to be formulated.

Three Dead in Jeep Accident in Bajura: The death toll from a jeep accident on Thursday morning in Himalaya Rural Municipality-5, Bajura, has risen to three. While two people died at the accident site, a third person succumbed to injuries during rescue efforts. A total of 16 people were injured in the crash, with police reporting that 13 of them are in serious condition. According to the Bajura District Police Office, the deceased are 65-year-old Bijora Rokaya, 70-year-old Bacha Rokaya, and 35-year-old Juneli Rokaya, all residents of Himalaya Rural Municipality-5.

Two Teen Sisters Found Hanging in Bhaktapur: Two teenage girls were found dead, hanging in Bhaktapur. The deceased have been identified as 17-year-old Menuka Kandel and her 15-year-old sister Srijana Kandel, originally from Panchapuri Municipality-8 of Surkhet district. They were found hanging in Bode, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-8 of Bhaktapur. According to DSP Dhundiraj Neupane of the Bhaktapur District Police Office, the sisters were discovered hanging with a single nylon rope tied to an iron rod in the passage of the ground floor of a two-storey house belonging to Chakradhar Prajapati at Sintitar, Bode, on Thursday morning.

Hydropower Leads As NEPSE Closes With Rs 18.49 Billion Turnover: The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index closed slightly higher on Thursday, the final trading day of the week. The benchmark NEPSE rose by 3.76 points to settle at 2,982.64. Alongside the index uptick, total trading volume also saw a significant rise, with shares worth Rs 18.49 billion exchanged. A total of 38.96 million units of shares were traded. Out of 328 companies that witnessed transactions, share prices of 123 companies increased, while 127 declined.

NRB Collects Rs 78 Billion in Deposits Out of Targeted Rs 80 Billion: Nepal Rastra Bank sought to collect Rs 80 billion in deposits on Wednesday but accepted only Rs 78 billion. Banks and financial institutions did not provide the full amount after the interest rate on deposit instruments was increased. The central bank implemented the lowered interest rate on permanent deposits as per the monetary policy for the current fiscal year. Accordingly, the central bank did not want to offer more than 2.75 percent interest to banks and financial institutions on deposit instruments.

 Inactive and Shareless Demat Accounts to Be Frozen: Demat accounts with no shares and those not renewed for five years will be frozen. This provision has been included in the Securities Board of Nepal’s policy and program for the fiscal year 2025/26 released on Wednesday. The board has also directed the concerned agency, CDS and Clearing Ltd., to implement the new provision.

Over 34,000 Contributors Take Rs 7.9 Billion Loans from Social Security Fund: A total of 34,097 contributors have taken Rs 7.9 billion in loans from the contribution-based Social Security Fund. The Social Security Fund informed at a press conference on Wednesday that in the last three years, 34,020 contributors under the loan and special loan schemes borrowed Rs 6.9 billion.

Bishal Bazar Becomes Largest Company in Nepal’s Stock Market: Based on market capitalization, Bishal Bazar has become the largest company in Nepal’s stock market. By Wednesday, the total market value of all shares of the company reached Rs 222 billion. Companies with higher capitalization have a greater impact on the overall market. Nepal Reinsurance has become the second-largest company after Bishal Bazar. Nepal Telecom, which held the top position a year ago, is now in third place. Nepal Reinsurance has surpassed Telecom.

‘Sakkigoni’ Actor Arjun Ghimire to Make Directorial Debut with Film ‘Jhari Pachhiko Indreni’: Actor Arjun Ghimire, widely known for his role as Pandey in the popular TV series ‘Sakkigoni’, is set to direct his first feature film titled Jhari Pachhiko Indreni, which is already registered with the Film Development Board. Previously, he produced Laaj Sharanam through GPT Creation. The upcoming film is currently in the writing phase, with a story by Kumar Byanjankar and lyrics by Ganesh Karki, while Sushil Kadariya will produce the project.

Actress Manisha Koirala Honored at UK House of Lords for Role in Women Empowerment: Nepali actress Manisha Koirala has been honored at the British Parliament’s Upper House, the House of Lords, for her significant contributions to women’s empowerment through cinema and other platforms. Lord Rami Ranger CBE presented the honor, acknowledging her efforts in supporting women’s health, cancer recovery, and societal upliftment through her work in film.

Film ‘Satidevi’ to Be Specially Screened in the US to Highlight Importance of Daughters: The film Satidevi, directed by Laxman Subedi and focused on the social importance of daughters, is set for a special screening in the United States. The screening will take place on August 17 in Fairfax, Virginia. The film, previously released in Nepal last year during August, features actors Mallika Mahat, Sandip Babu Lohani, Ramesh Budhathoki, Kuldeep Adhikari, and Bholaraj Sapkota.

New Teej Song ‘Teej Aaisakyo Rajai’ Released Featuring Priyanka Karki and Pushpa Khadka: A new Teej song titled Teej Aaisakyo Rajai, sung by Devi Gharti with lyrics and music by popular songwriter Lilu Gurung, has been released. The music is arranged by Sudip Sagar. The music video features performances by actress Priyanka Karki and actor Pushpa Khadka, choreographed and directed by Mausam Himal.

APF Edge Past NRT 1-0 in U-16 Youth League with Prakash Khanal’s Decisive Goal: With a decisive goal from Prakash Khanal, the departmental team Nepal APF Football Club secured a hard-fought victory in the ANFA U-16 Youth League. In the match held on Thursday at ANFA Complex in Satdobato, APF defeated New Road Team (NRT) 1–0. The only goal of the match, scored by Prakash during first-half injury time, proved to be the winner. With the victory, APF have climbed to fourth place with 15 points from 8 matches. Meanwhile, the defeated NRT remain in 12th position with 5 points from the same number of games.

Machhindra Football Club Secures Comeback Victory in ANFA U-16 Youth League: Machhindra Football Club achieved a comeback win in the ANFA U-16 Youth League. In the match held Thursday at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, they defeated Sankata Club 2–1. With this victory, Machhindra rose to third place with 17 points from 8 matches, while the defeated Sankata holds second place with 18 points. Rahul Kumar Yonjan and Govind BK scored the goals for Machhindra. Sankata’s Pemba Tamang scored a consolation goal. He scored in the 33rd minute.

Nepali Club AG10 Academy Advances to Knockout Stage of Dana Cup 2025: Nepali football club AG10 Academy has secured a spot in the knockout stage of the prestigious international Dana Cup 2025. Despite a tough start with a 3–0 defeat against Mexico’s Selección Elite in the opening match, AG10 made a strong comeback with a commanding 12–1 victory over Norway’s Vidar FK. In the final group stage match, AG10 defeated UAE’s IFA Sport 6–2, finishing the group stage with two wins and one loss to advance to the next round.

Plane Crashes in Russia’s Far East, Nearly 50 People Dead: A Russian Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying about 50 people crashed in the country’s far east on Thursday, and emergency services officials fear that all on board have died. The burning fuselage of the nearly 50-year-old Soviet-era aircraft was spotted on the ground by a helicopter, with rescue crews rushing to the scene. Video captured from the helicopter and shared on social media showed the plane crashed in a densely forested area, with pale smoke rising from the site. The flight was operated by Angara, a privately owned regional airline based in Siberia.

Twelve Killed in Thailand-Cambodia Military Clashes on Disputed Border: Clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops at their disputed border have killed at least 12 people, Thai authorities say. The fighting marks an escalation of a dispute between the two South East Asian neighbours that dates back more than a century. Most of the casualties were civilians from three Thai provinces, according to Thailand’s army, which also reported that several people were wounded. Cambodia has yet to confirm whether it suffered any casualties. Both sides exchanged gunfire early on Thursday, with each claiming the other had fired the first shot.

Israel has starved 113 Palestinians to death in Gaza, Say Palestinian Health Ministry: Hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip have recorded two more deaths “due to famine and malnutrition” in the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, bringing the total to at least 113. Hamas says it has submitted to mediators its response to a proposed Gaza ceasefire deal. Israel says it is examining it. The response reportedly includes amendments to conditions around the entry of aid, areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw, and guarantees on securing a permanent end to the war.

Starmer and Modi Sign £6bn India-UK Trade Deal: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signed a free trade deal with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a multi-billion-pound export boost. UK cars and whisky will be cheaper to export to India and Indian textiles and jewellery cheaper to export to the UK under the agreement, which also commits to a new India-UK plan to tackle illegal migration. Opponents have warned the deal could undercut British workers due to an extended exemption on national insurance contributions, from one to three years.