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Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel has consulted with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba about the budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2082/83 BS (2025/26). 

He reached Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha this morning and held consultations with the NC President and former Prime Minister on the next fiscal year's budget.

On the occasion, Deuba suggested adopting austerity keeping in view the economic situation of the country and preparing the budget so that the resources can be utilized to the maximum, the Finance Minister's Secretariat said.

Various stakeholders have highlighted the need of developing the Muktinath area as a comprehensive religious tourism site.

Chief District Officer Bishnu Prasad Bhusal said initiatives would be taken to extend the stay of the tourists visiting Muktinath temple.

A 11-member team led by CDO Bhusal had visited the Muktinath area on Saturday to further explore the areas for the promotion of religious tourism.

According to him, a trekking route should be constructed at a distance of about four kilometres in Muktinath area to connect it with the three religious heritages here.

"Muktinath Development Committee along with the local people will take forward the construction of the trekking route", he said.

The team carried out a preliminary feasibility study with the aim of linking alternative religious heritage with tourism.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has issued a ruling to the government to ascertain the truth behind the death of Prisa Shah at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India.

During a meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday, lawmakers drew the attention of the government to the demise of Sah, a Nepali student at KIIT in India.

Sah was found dead at her hostel room on Thursday evening.

Saying that his attention has been drawn to the issue raised by the lawmakers in the emergency time of the meeting, Speaker Ghimire directed the government to initiate high-level diplomatic efforts with the Indian government and provide necessary legal assistance to the family.

“The mysterious deaths of students, who had gone abroad to study with dreams of a bright future, one after another are also a serious question linked to the sensitivity and responsibility of the nation,” he said, adding, “I direct the government to take deep interest in this incident and to initiate high-level diplomatic talks with the Indian government to ascertain the truth and provide necessary legal assistance to the family.”

The government has announced plans to implement Euro 6 vehicle emission, marking a significant step toward cleaner transportation in Nepal. President Ram Chandra Paudel made the announcement, presenting the government’s policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 in the joint session of parliament.

The existing Vehicle Emission Standards, 2012 allows imports of motor vehicles complying to Euro 3 or equivalent emission standards. While attempts to revise the standard were made in 2017 and 2021, it stalled on the pressure from automobile importers. However, officials say the government is now committed to enforcing the new norms.

An official at the Ministry of Forests and Environment said the draft of the updated standards has been sent to the Department of Environment (DoE) for feedback. The ministry will finalize the draft within two to three months after incorporating feedback received from the DoE.

As per the draft, the government will adopt Euro 6 standards for passenger vehicles, motorcycles and commercial vehicles, and Euro 4 standards for heavy equipment and construction vehicles.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport have already approved the draft, the forest ministry official said. “India enforced Bharat Standard 6 (BS 6) in 2020, and China has Euro 6 equivalent emission standards. It is high time we upgraded our emission standards,” he added.

Since Nepal makes most of its vehicle imports from India and China—countries which are already producing Euro 6-compliant models, automobile dealers say the switch to Euro 6 will not affect supply.

Automobile dealers, however, say that any change in emission standards should come with an advance notice. An official of NADA Automobiles Association said they have recommended a six-month transition period. “We are ready to implement new emission standards. But sudden enforcement could hurt businesses as they would find it difficult to sell off existing orders. There is also a need to train technicians,” the official added. 

Some dealers, however, say the upgrade to Euro 6 would make motor vehicles expensive. “There is no rush to make the switch as we are seeing a healthy growth in electric vehicle imports,” a former office-bearer of NADA said on condition of anonymity.

Ministry officials said the upcoming budget might provide a clear timeline on switching to Euro 6 emission standards.

British counter-terrorism police have arrested eight men, seven of them Iranian nationals, in two separate investigations, authorities said Sunday.

Five suspects, aged 29 to 40, were seized on Saturday in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester in connection with an alleged plot to target a specific place. The location has not been released for security reasons, according to the BBC.

The arrests come amid growing concern about Iran-related threats, with MI5 confirming 20 Tehran-backed plans since 2022. The Iranian Embassy has not returned inquiries for comment.

A missile fired from Yemen landed near the main terminal of Israel's Ben Gurion airport on Sunday morning, Israeli authorities said, BBC reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from May 7 to 10 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat, the Kremlin has announced. He will meet with President Vladimir Putin to strengthen strategic ties and sign bilateral agreements, Reuters reported.

Leaders from Brazil, Serbia, and Slovakia are also expected. Putin suggested a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine around May 9 Victory Day, but Ukrainian President Zelensky insisted on a 30-day truce, citing security concerns for visiting dignitaries. Zelensky also accused China of sending weapons to Russia, as stated by Reuters.

In a state media documentary, Putin hailed ties with China as "deep-seated" and "truly strategic".

Portugal's caretaker government has revealed plans to remove some 18,000 unauthorized migrants, a decision that has sparked strong condemnation ahead of the country's scheduled general election on May 18, Firstpost reported.

Minister of the Presidency Antonio Leitao Amaro stated that 4,500 migrants will receive warnings giving them 20 days to leave voluntarily. He declared the current deportation system inadequate and in need of revision.

The announcement comes after the center-right government fell after a no-confidence vote in March, prompting new elections, as stated by the Firstpost.