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German company DIAG Industries GmbH has submitted a detailed project report (DPR), along with estimated investment requirements, to the Office of the Investment Board Nepal (OIBN) for establishing a chemical fertilizer plant in the country. According to the report, the plant will produce two types of chemical fertilizers—urea and ammonium nitrate—through three different processes: natural gas, electrolysis and a hybrid method. The hybrid process would enable the production of both urea and ammonium nitrate simultaneously.

The project aims to replace Nepal’s fertilizer imports and reduce the country’s dependence on costly foreign supplies. The plant is expected to come into operation by 2028, according to information posted on the DIAG website. OIBN and the German firm had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) two years ago to prepare the DPR for the project. The 50th Board meeting of OIBN, held on 31 March 2022, decided to issue a survey license to DIAG based on its unsolicited proposal. As per the MoU, the company was required to submit the DPR within two years of receiving the license.

During the study, DIAG was asked to propose the most suitable technology—natural gas, electrolysis with carbon capture and storage, or a hybrid model combining both—for producing at least 700,000 tons of chemical fertilizers annually. The company has proposed to build the plant under a public–private partnership (PPP) model, with construction expected to take three and a half years.

As Nepal currently meets all of its fertilizer demand through imports, the crucial farm input often faces shortages during planting season due to supply constraints. The country’s annual demand for chemical fertilizers is estimated at around 700,000 tons. The government has allocated Rs 28.82bn in subsidies to procure 600,000 tons in the current fiscal year.

The German company has proposed to set up the plant at Bardaghat in Sarawal Rural Municipality, Nawalparasi West. The facility will cover 161.87 hectares and operate under the name DIAG Surya Green Fertilizer Pvt Ltd. According to an OIBN official, DIAG has estimated total investment at Rs 240bn.

The company has also outlined certain conditions, including a five-year tax holiday, a three-and-a-half-year construction period, guaranteed supply of 300 MW of electricity and the right to operate the plant for 30 years, among others.

Meta is introducing stronger safety controls on its AI chatbots to protect teenagers from harmful content. The update means users under 18 will no longer be able to discuss issues such as self-harm, suicide or eating disorders with the AI, and will instead be directed to professional help, BBC reported.

The move follows concerns raised after reports that Meta’s systems had engaged in inappropriate conversations with minors, sparking scrutiny from US lawmakers.

Child safety groups welcomed the changes but criticised Meta for acting too late, saying companies must test risks before rolling out powerful tools.

Meta is also tackling misuse of its AI to create sexualised chatbots mimicking celebrities, including underage figures. The company said it permits likeness-based content but bans explicit or exploitative creations, especially those involving children, according to BBC.

President Donald Trump has criticised India for what he called a “one-sided” trade relationship, accusing New Delhi of exporting heavily to the United States while importing little in return.

Trump claimed India recently offered to eliminate tariffs on US goods but said the move came “too late,” arguing it should have happened years earlier, Al Jazeera reported.

His comments follow Washington’s decision to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian imports, alongside criticism of India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and weapons.

India has not officially responded, though Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal previously insisted the country “will neither bow down nor appear weak” in trade negotiations, according to Al Jazeera.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has traveled to Beijing to attend China’s “Victory Day” military parade, marking his first multilateral international meeting. He will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders, BBC reported.

Kim departed Pyongyang Monday evening aboard his heavily armored train, a slow-moving convoy with around 90 carriages, including conference rooms, bedrooms, and a restaurant. The journey, expected to take about 24 hours, follows a family tradition started by his grandfather and continued by his father.

According to BBC, this is the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. Kim rarely travels abroad, with previous international trips mainly limited to meetings with Putin and a 2019 visit to Beijing.

China and Russia have joined Iran in opposing a European push to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran. The United Kingdom, France, and Germany invoked the “snapback mechanism” from the 2015 nuclear deal, citing Iran’s breaches of the agreement. In response, the foreign ministers of China, Russia, and Iran condemned the move as “legally and procedurally flawed” and urged a diplomatic solution, Reuters reported.

The 2015 nuclear deal lifted sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program, but after the US withdrawal in 2018, Iran began exceeding uranium enrichment limits. The agreement is set to expire in October 2025, and the European snapback effort aims to restore sanctions unless blocked by the UN Security Council.

China, Russia, and Iran stress that Europe’s action undermines diplomacy and violate the spirit of the agreement, according to Reuters.

President Donald Trump has defended issuing 600,000 visas to Chinese students, calling a ban “insulting” and saying it benefits smaller US universities. He highlighted his good relationship with China and the economic benefits the students bring, saying the decision is simply “the right thing to do”, BBC reported.

The move drew criticism from some allies, who argued it limits opportunities for American students and raised security concerns. The White House confirmed the visas will be issued over the next two years, in line with previous levels, as trade talks with China continue.

Liverpool have signed Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United in a British record transfer worth about £130m ($176m). The 25-year-old, who scored 23 Premier League goals last season, is set to join on a six-year contract after completing his medical, Al Jazeera reported.

The deal follows weeks of negotiations, during which Isak pushed for the move by skipping Newcastle training. Newcastle, in turn, moved to replace him by signing German forward Nick Woltemade for a club-record fee of up to £69m ($93m).

More than 250 news outlets in over 70 countries staged a coordinated front-page protest to condemn the killing of journalists in Gaza. The campaign, led by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media freedom group and global campaign movement Avaaz, warned that continued targeting of reporters risks silencing independent coverage of the war, Al Jazeera reported.

RSF has documented around 220 journalist deaths since October 2023, while Al Jazeera’s count is at least 278, including ten of its own staff. Recent Israeli strikes killed several reporters, among them Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama and Anas al-Sharif, Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, and others working near hospitals.

According to Al Jazeera, media groups are demanding protection for journalists, safe evacuation routes, and access for foreign press. RSF has already filed war-crimes complaints with the International Criminal Court. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 63,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the conflict.