27 Jestha, Kathmandu – Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal (DP) has entered into active dialogue with opposition parties. To resolve the disruptions observed in the conduct of the House of Representatives sessions, the Speaker has engaged in direct talks with leaders of the opposition parties. Earlier, Ravi Lamichhane, president of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, had held discussions with the opposition parties. Since then, those parties have been holding separate consultations. Now, dialogue has resumed between the Speaker and the leaders of the opposition parties.
The House of Representatives sessions have been affected due to the absence of consensus. Opposition parties have raised concerns about statements made by Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) relating to border disputes. On Jestha 17, during a House session where Prime Minister Balen was responding to parliamentarians’ questions, he made a comment suggesting that Nepal had encroached on Indian territory, which sparked protests. The opposition parties have continued to question this issue. Due to the ongoing opposition, the House of Representatives has been unable to hold regular sessions.
May 10, Kathmandu – Dipendra Singh Airey, captain of the Nepal national cricket team, has climbed to the fourth position in the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings. The ICC released its updated rankings on Wednesday, reflecting data up to Tuesday, with Dipendra moving up from fifth to fourth place. His rating points have risen to an all-time high of 256.
The Nepal men’s team recently emerged undefeated as champions in the Asian Games qualifier held in Singapore. During the tournament, Dipendra had limited batting opportunities, appearing in only two out of the four matches Nepal played, scoring 40 runs and taking 4 wickets. Leading the all-rounder rankings is Sikandar Raza from Zimbabwe with a rating of 328 points. India’s Hardik Pandya holds the second position, followed by Pakistan’s Shadab Khan in third. Ajmatullah Omarzai has dropped from fourth to fifth place.
May 10, Kathmandu – The Nepal women’s cricket team has slipped one place to 23rd in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings. The team has yet to deliver the expected performances. Last week, Nepal failed to qualify in the Asian Games qualifiers, missing out on a spot in the Asia Cup as well. During the Asian Games qualifiers, Nepal defeated China and Indonesia but lost to Malaysia in the semifinals and subsequently to China in the third-place playoff, which prevented their qualification for the Asian Games.
Following this, in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup, the Nepal team won against Qatar and Bhutan in the group stage but suffered a defeat against Hong Kong. On Wednesday morning, Nepal was eliminated after losing to Thailand in the quarterfinals, ending their hopes of qualifying for the Asia Cup.
File photo May 10, Kathmandu. A meeting called by Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswapa) Chairman Ravi Lamichhane to end the parliamentary obstruction is currently underway at Singha Durbar. The session is being held in the parliamentary procedure hall. Leaders and chief whips from all parties represented in the House are participating in this discussion. Opposition parties had been boycotting the parliament due to controversies stemming from statements made by Prime Minister Balendra Shah regarding the border dispute. Participating in the talks are leaders such as Bishmaraj Andembe of Nepali Congress, Ram Bahadur Thapa from CPN-UML, and Barshaman Pun of the Nepal Communist Party. Previously, on May 8, Lamichhane also met with opposition leaders to discuss the Raswapa-led government’s performance and the recent India visit.
May 10, Kathmandu — Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un have reached an “important consensus.” Both nations have agreed to collaborate in safeguarding regional and global peace. President Xi completed his two-day state visit to North Korea and subsequently sent a message of thanks. The North Korean state media, KCNA, reported this information on Wednesday based on that message and broadcast it in full.
In his message, President Xi highlighted deep exchanges of views on matters of mutual interest between the two sides. He expressed commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations. According to the message, a series of significant agreements were made. In the coming days, cooperation will be based on the “fundamental and long-term interests” of both countries. President Xi is eager to continuously safeguard, strengthen, and develop bilateral ties. He also aims to work alongside Kim Jong Un to contribute further to regional and global peace and development.
According to China’s official news agency Xinhua, this visit has fostered a deeper and broader mutual understanding for the advancement of China-North Korea relations. It has established a clear roadmap for development. Government media from both countries provided additional details. The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation across political, economic, trade, and cultural domains. They also consented to maintain close strategic communication between their respective governments.
Xinhua noted that cooperation covers sectors such as agriculture, technology, and construction. Practical collaboration is identified as a key driving force in developing China-North Korea relations. Chinese official media also emphasized that both nations need to fully reopen their border crossings. They advocated for the resumption of civil aviation flights and international passenger rail services. This would allow both countries to maximize mutual benefits.
On Wednesday, KCNA released other reports as well. According to these, the two leaders paid tribute at the “Sino-Korean Friendship Tower” in Pyongyang, a monument honoring Chinese soldiers who lost their lives during the Korean War. They also visited a political training school operated for party activists.
The Election Commission’s recommendation to amend the constitution to assign one electoral constituency per district has drawn criticism from experts to opposition parties.
At the end of last week, the commission submitted the proposal to the government-formed task force preparing a discussion paper for the constitutional amendment.
However, experts and opposition parties argue that the proposal is not appropriate according to geography, population, proportionality, and inclusion principles. They have criticized the commission’s recommendation as insufficiently studied and not well-reasoned.
Suggestions from the Commission
Image Source, Getty Images
The Election Commission suggested reducing the number of MPs to lower the financial burden and proposed designating one electoral constituency per district.
According to the current constitution, the House of Representatives has 275 members—175 elected under the first-past-the-post system and 110 under the proportional representation system.
The commission also proposed lowering the minimum age for National Assembly members from 35 to 30 years.
For candidates running for the House of Representatives, the commission recommended reducing the minimum age from 25 to 21 years.
To reduce economic burden, the commission suggested having only a chief commissioner and two commissioners.
Currently, the commission has a chief commissioner and four other commissioners.
The commission also put forward various other suggestions related to elections from the local to the federal levels.
‘This Was the Approach During the Panchayat Era’
Image Source, ECN
Commissioner Sagun Shamsher Jabara said the proposal came in light of the heavy economic burden on the country and to facilitate quicker decision-making.
“During the Panchayat era, each district had one MP. Since there are now 77 districts, having 77 MPs seems appropriate. Additionally, the proportional representation system could also have one MP per district. Why is there a need for two MPs from a single district?” he stated.
“The concern is that the situation looks cumbersome. Even if there are many people, if three can do the job, why involve seven?”
However, some argued that due to significant population differences among districts, this proposal is inappropriate.
How can a district with a few thousand people and one with millions both have just one MP?
Regarding this concern, Commissioner Jabara said, “Migration may occur in the future. Population in Kathmandu may decline. If decentralization enables people to return to their hometowns, villages will become populous and cities may get emptier.”
The commission also recommended that each province elect four members to the National Assembly, totaling 28 members.
Additionally, it suggested amending the constitution to reduce the number of presidential nominated members from three to two.
Expert Opinions
Federalism expert Professor Pitambar Sharma said he could not understand the rationale behind the commission’s method of determining electoral constituencies.
According to him, since population is declining in hill areas but increasing in the Terai and urban areas, establishing such constituencies may complicate the electoral process and reduce supervision effectiveness.
“Such an arrangement may work in some hill districts, but many parliamentary constituencies exist in one Terai district. This weakens supervision and does not conform to electoral laws,” he noted.
“Therefore, while the number of constituencies in 34 hill districts with declining population could be reduced, this approach may not be suitable for Terai.”
While arguments exist to allocate fewer constituencies in districts like Humla, Jumla, Manang, Mustang, and Dolpa due to low population, Professor Sharma opined that assigning only one constituency per district is not logical.
Although the current allocation of 275 MPs in the House of Representatives is sufficient, reducing the number would fail to reflect the constitution’s principles of proportionality and inclusion.
He agreed with the commission’s rationale that lowering the number of local levels from 753 to roughly 500 could be appropriate to reduce the financial burden.
Responses from Opposition Parties
Nishchal Rai, spokesperson for the main opposition party Nepali Congress, called the commission’s recommendation unsuitable.
“According to Article 84(1) of the Constitution, the selection of MPs is based on population, geographical suitability, and diversity. The concept of ‘one district, one constituency’ does not align with these criteria and contradicts the spirit of the constitution in terms of geography, society, and demographics,” he said.
“Comparing the population of Manang/Mustang and Kathmandu/Morang districts shows significant difference. While adjustments could be made to numbers, sticking firmly to 77 constituencies is negative,” he added.
He noted Congress is preparing to formulate an official stance on this matter.
Similarly, the other opposition party, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), claimed that the commission made this recommendation without sufficient study.
“Suggestions should not be given without proper studies and preparations because population balance is uneven. Diversity must also be considered,” said Padma Aryal, Deputy Leader of the UML parliamentary party.
“Reducing the number of MPs by applying a single formula without study and consultation appears ill-advised. It is impossible to have 77 constituencies across 77 districts,” she added, clarifying that her party has yet to adopt an official position on the issue.
This news can also be followed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The BBC Nepali Service radio program airs Monday through Friday at 8:45 PM.
May 27, Kathmandu – Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina delivered a convincing 3-0 victory against Ireland in an international friendly match. The game took place on Wednesday morning at the Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama, USA, where Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi also found the back of the net after coming on in the second half, scoring from a penalty.
Earlier in the match, Valentin Barco opened the scoring for Argentina in the 8th minute, providing an early lead. Argentina then added two more goals in the second half to secure a dominant performance. Messi converted a penalty in the 72nd minute, and Thiago Almada sealed the win with a goal in the 87th minute.
As a former World Cup champion, Argentina’s victory in this friendly signals their readiness to defend their title at the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins on June 11. Placed in Group J, Argentina will face Algeria in their opening match on June 16.
May 10, Kathmandu – The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RASWPA) has suspended the election process in Bagmati Province. Sumitra Pandit, Chairperson of the Election Committee, announced that the election schedule has been postponed for the time being. Following the suspension, the assembly venue has become deserted. The suspension comes after disputes arose regarding the voter list. Chairperson Pandit stated that a further notice will be issued within 24 hours.
On Tuesday, the Election Committee had disorganizedly published a handwritten voter list. Despite concerns raised immediately about the voter list publication, the Election Committee proceeded with candidate registration. Meanwhile, police have cleared the assembly venue, instructing representatives present, “Your leaders are not here; please leave.”
A video has emerged showing a lion stealing a visitor’s bag at the Shatrunjaya Temple in Gujarat, India. This unexpected behavior by the lion astonished those present at the temple. The lion was seen carrying the bag as it ran towards the forest. Later, forest department officials recovered the bag.
May 27, Kathmandu – The world football governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have issued a stern warning to immediately halt any form of government interference in the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) or Nepal risks being suspended from international football competitions. According to a joint letter obtained and made public by ANFA five days ago (June 5, 2026), the National Sports Council (Rakhap) had lifted ANFA’s suspension on May 15 (Jestha 2), but other decisions taken on March 25 (Chaitra 12) remain unrevoked, perpetuating the problem.
FIFA and AFC have identified Rakhap’s directives to ANFA to halt elections, amend statutes, and conduct district-level association elections as “unwarranted third-party interference,” urging immediate cancellation of these actions. Through ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai, FIFA and AFC have demanded a written commitment by May 28 confirming the complete annulment of Rakhap’s March 25 decisions. The letter also makes it clear that failure to receive a satisfactory response within the stipulated timeframe will lead to immediate suspension of Nepal from international football oversight by the FIFA Council.
May 10, Kathmandu – Shankar Pokharel, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), has expressed strong criticism towards the working style of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party. On Friday, through his Facebook post, without directly naming the party, he reacted to the slogan “Select the knowledgeable,” sharply criticizing the working methods of new political parties and their leaders. Pokharel described these emerging forces’ practices as “hypocrisy” and an “institutionalized form of corruption.” He emphasized that while it is essential to eliminate the weaknesses of old parties and leadership for good governance and rapid development, it is utterly unacceptable for new parties to forget these past shortcomings and perpetuate misconduct.
In his Facebook post titled “The Corruption Behind ‘Selecting the Knowledgeable’,” Pokharel claimed that the true nature of the slogans used by new parties, including the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is gradually becoming apparent. He accused these so-called new powers of normalizing acts hostile to the country and treating destructive crimes against the state as acts of bravery. “If this is what ‘selecting the knowledgeable’ means, then it is not meritocracy but hypocrisy. It is an institutionalized form of arbitrariness, bias, and corruption,” he wrote. This strong response from the General Secretary comes amid reported amendments in the budget bill and recent controversies linked to new political parties.
Pokharel elaborated, “The revelation behind ‘selecting the knowledgeable’ is that the slogan’s reality is gradually surfacing. There is a tendency to normalize actions harmful to the country, view destructive crimes against the state as courageous acts, legalize self-interested arrangements, unlawfully tamper with sensitive documents such as the budget bill, attribute illegal sources of wealth to systemic weaknesses, excuse their people through flimsy justifications, and try to blame others.” He added, “If this is what ‘selecting the knowledgeable’ represents, it is not ability but hypocrisy—an institutionalized form of arbitrariness, bias, and corruption. While it is essential to remove the past deficiencies for good governance and rapid development, the wrongdoings done under new names, causing those past lapses to be overlooked, are completely unacceptable.”
May 10, Kathmandu — Escalating tensions between the US and Iran have once again impacted the global oil market. Following the US attack on Tuesday, crude oil prices rose by approximately 1 percent. Brent crude increased by 83 cents, or 0.9 percent, reaching $92.29 per barrel. Similarly, US WTI crude rose by 68 cents, or 0.8 percent, trading at $88.97 per barrel. Prior to this, oil prices had fallen to their lowest points in seven weeks.
The rising tensions in West Asia and risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz have brought renewed volatility to the markets. After Iran shot down a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, the United States launched an attack on Iran’s Qeshm Island. Meanwhile, the US has announced the completion of its military operations against Iran. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the attack was in response to the downing of the US Apache helicopter and recent attacks on US forces and commercial vessels in the region. CENTCOM stated that US Air Force and Navy fighter jets targeted Iran’s air defense systems, ground control stations, and surveillance radar centers near the Strait of Hormuz using “precision weapons.” (With agency inputs)
Image Caption, The wall chart indicates match dates according to venue times. Matches will take place post-midnight or early morning Nepali time.
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Are you eager to find out when the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, starting tomorrow on June 11, will be played and at what times?
You can download the full schedule from start to finish right here.
All Games at Every Venue
Print this schedule and track the scores in real-time to compare results and see if they match your predictions among friends and family.
Whether you plan to watch every match or just the games featuring your favorite teams, this wall chart will prove quite useful.
The World Cup football tournament kicks off on June 11 and will conclude with the final on July 19.
Matches will be held across 16 stadiums located in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
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May 27, Kathmandu – Geoffrey Wall, a former pilot of Canadian airline Air Canada, has been accused of operating commercial flights for 17 years using a fraudulent license. According to Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, the accused endangered the safety of thousands of passengers. Wall faces charges including fraud amounting to over $5,000, public mischief, use of forged documents, and possession of a fake certificate. The 59-year-old was arrested on June 1.
This case came to light following Transport Canada’s investigation, which uncovered irregularities in Wall’s documents. Authorities stated that Wall began his aviation career in 1998 and, by 2009, had managed to become a pilot-in-command, or captain, using a counterfeit certificate. He subsequently operated flights carrying thousands of passengers for several years. The deception was only uncovered last year during a routine operational inspection by Transport Canada at Pearson Airport, where his documentation raised concerns.
Following this, a thorough investigation codenamed ‘Project Icarus’ was launched. Investigators are currently examining how the accused forged these documents and managed to evade oversight for such an extended period. (With agency assistance)
May 10, Kathmandu. Iran has claimed to have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone. According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the attack occurred in the Jam region of southern Iran. A video purportedly showing the drone being shot down was also released on social media. However, the US military has not yet officially confirmed the downing of the MQ-9 drone. This report comes shortly after the United States declared the completion of its military operations against Iran.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the attack was launched in response to the downing of a US Apache helicopter and attacks against US forces and commercial vessels in the area. CENTCOM stated that US Air Force and Navy fighter jets targeted Iranian air defense systems, ground control stations, and surveillance radar centers near the Strait of Hormuz using precision weapons.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its Aerospace Force launched long-range solid-fueled missiles at a US airbase in Jordan where American military personnel are stationed. The IRGC claimed its missiles precisely destroyed four critical targets at the base, including hangars housing F-35 fighter jets and the main command and control center.
The IRGC presented this missile strike as the conclusion of its extensive retaliatory operations. This large-scale response reportedly involved strikes on 21 US air and naval facilities across the Middle East, including the downing of a US MQ-9 drone over Iranian airspace. The IRGC concluded with a stern warning to the United States, stating that its forces are fully prepared to deliver a ‘decisive and devastating’ response to any further US military actions, and that Washington would bear full responsibility for any escalation of tensions. (In cooperation with agencies)
