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Hungary’s parliament has approved a bill to begin the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing political bias. The move came shortly after a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, according to Reuters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government criticized the court as no longer impartial and rejected the warrant against Netanyahu as “brazen.” The bill, passed with 134 votes in favor and 37 against, states Hungary rejects the use of international institutions for political purposes.

Hungary’s withdrawal will take effect one year after official notification to the United Nations. Netanyahu praised the decision as “bold and principled”, Reuters reported.

Venezuela has suspended all flights to and from Colombia following the discovery of an alleged plot to smuggle explosives into the country via Colombian airports, Xinhua reported.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the decision on Monday, citing a broader destabilization plan targeting foreign embassies, police stations, and healthcare facilities in Venezuela.

“This is a preventive measure to ensure national security,” Cabello said.

Authorities believe the plot is intended to disrupt the legislative elections scheduled for May 25, according to Xinhua.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has terminated $60m in federal grants to Harvard University, citing the school’s failure to address antisemitic harassment and racial discrimination.

In a statement on X, HHS said federal funding must go to institutions that “protect all students” and will not tolerate discrimination, Al Jazeera reported.

The move is part of a broader conflict between President Donald Trump’s administration and elite universities, following pro-Palestinian protests on campuses. Trump has called the demonstrations antisemitic, while student organizers say they are peaceful protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Harvard rejected federal demands for disciplinary changes, removal of diversity programs, and external oversight, arguing they would compromise academic independence, according to Al Jazeera.

In response to the funding cut, Harvard has allocated $250m from its own funds to support affected research and has filed a lawsuit, claiming the cuts violate the First Amendment and federal law.

The Russia-China Forum began Monday in Khabarovsk, gathering over 3,000 participants to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

Dmitry Demeshin, Governor of Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory, highlighted growing collaboration with China in industry, energy, and transportation, describing it as a “bridge of trust and shared prosperity”, Xinhua reported.

Chinese Consul General Jiang Xiaoyang noted Khabarovsk’s key role in regional cooperation.

The forum includes talks on joint projects, such as the development of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, and aims to expand trade, investment, and business ties between the two nations, according to Xinhua.

Former US President Joe Biden has thanked the public for their support following the announcement of his prostate cancer diagnosis, calling the experience a reminder of shared resilience.

“Cancer touches us all,” he wrote. “Jill and I have learned we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up”, BBC reported.

His office confirmed the former president was diagnosed Friday with aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer that has spread to his bones but remains hormone-sensitive and treatable.

Support has poured in from global figures, including Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and King Charles, who sent a private message of encouragement, according to BBC.

Microsoft announced Microsoft Discovery, a new platform that uses agentic AI to speed scientific research, at its Build 2025 conference on Monday.

According to the company, the platform is extensible and capable of managing science-related tasks from start to finish. Microsoft described it as an enterprise-level tool that supports the entire research process — from reasoning and hypothesis creation to candidate testing, simulation, and analysis, according to Xinhua..

Microsoft stated that the platform enables researchers to collaborate with specialized AI agents, increasing the pace, scale, and accuracy of scientific discovery through the use of powerful AI and supercomputing technology.

The Office of the Auditor General of Nepal has repeatedly emphasized the need for auditing 43 government-owned organizations. However, the 62nd report of the Auditor General reveals that 31 of these organizations remain unaudited. Highlighting this issue, the Auditor General has called for policy reforms in corporate governance.

According to the report, during the 45th fiscal year, accounts of 43 companies, worth a combined Rs 447.5bn, were audited. In the 2023/24 fiscal year, audits were completed for an additional 42 organizations valued at Rs 477.49bn. Despite repeated directives, 31 organizations have not completed audits for 80 fiscal years, and 21 fully government-owned organizations still have 38 fiscal years pending audit. These unaudited entities include Udayapur Cement Industry, Nepal Tourism Board, Guthi Sansthan, Gorkhapatra Sansthan, Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Hetauda Cement Industry Limited, Dairy Development Corporation, Janak Education Materials Center Limited, Nepal Drinking Water Corporation, and Nepal Television.

Similarly, 10 corporate bodies majority-owned by the government have not submitted accounts for the 42nd fiscal year. These include the National Insurance Company, National Life Insurance Company Limited, Bishal Bazar Company, Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Company Limited, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, Sajha Prakasan, and Nepal Orient Magnesite Private Limited.

The report notes inconsistencies in how boards of directors determine staffing and benefits in public corporations, often based on varying acts that lack uniformity. It recommends policy reforms to ensure that worker appointments and benefits are regulated through a standardized government policy implemented via the boards of directors. Additionally, there is no clear criteria for establishing subsidiaries or assessing the impact of issuing shares to the public on the organizations’ investments and liabilities. Since some organizations have share ownership spread across multiple ministries while the government acts as a single entity, the Auditor General suggests reviewing and amending laws and regulations accordingly.

The report also flags increasing operational expenses—such as financial management, salaries, allowances, and office costs—outpacing income, exacerbated by overstaffing and underutilized capacity. Several organizations have operated at a loss for extended periods, with low returns on government investments and no substantial efforts to strengthen these entities. The government reportedly has not evaluated the public services offered or their economic contributions, nor reviewed investments. The report further notes delays in auditing, failure to meet goals, unreconciled accounts, and non-payment of principal, interest, and dividends.

A significant concern raised involves loans extended by the Employees Provident Fund and the Citizens Investment Fund for Nepal Airlines Corporation’s purchase of aircraft. On 18 June 2013, the Provident Fund and Nepal Airlines provided a loan of Rs 9.98bn, guaranteed by the government, for two A320 narrow-body Airbuses. On 18 May 2017, an additional Rs 11.9bn loan, also government-guaranteed, was provided for one A330 wide-body Airbus. Due to non-payment of interest, the Provident Fund Board has capitalized the principal to Rs 28.5bn. The loans appear only in the retirement fund’s financial statements, with decisions made solely by the fund’s board at a time when no trustee was formed. The loan repayments have not followed the agreement, including the provision requiring 30 percent of ticket sales to be deposited into a special account.

The report stresses that when the government provides guarantees for large, long-term projects, detailed risk assessments and business plan evaluations should precede loan disbursement to ensure proper coverage.

Regarding the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the Auditor General states that the reported profit is not entirely realistic. While total profit increased in the 2023/24 fiscal year compared to the previous year, net profit declined due to higher depreciation expenses. Ratios related to net income, long-term debt, equity, employee expenses, and imported electricity remained stable. The Authority’s accumulated profit reached Rs 46.47bn, but significant depreciation on trade receivables (Rs 11.51bn previously, Rs 5.16bn this year) has affected earnings.

The NEA had also recognized outstanding fines for dedicated and trunk lines as income, based on government commission recommendations for tariff exemptions. Electricity tariff arrears rose by 8.88 percent this year to Rs 48.26bn, with Rs 23.44bn owed by 59 customers on trunk and dedicated lines—debts disputed for over a decade. Another Rs 6.89bn remains unpaid for street lighting. Although power loss (leakage rate) decreased slightly from 13.46 percent to 12.85 percent, it remains above the global average, prompting calls for identifying causes and implementing effective control systems in high-loss areas.

With rising electricity production, the NEA has been urged to implement an effective export strategy while considering growing domestic consumption and demand during the rainy season. The NEA owes Rs 3bn to the government and Rs 5bn to other entities. According to Article 1 of the Mahakali Treaty between Nepal and India, Nepal receives 70m units of electricity free annually, with any additional requirements to be purchased.

The government provides free power to NEA at Rs 4.75 per unit. Of this, NEA owes the government Rs 2.42bn last year and Rs 330m this year. Furthermore, the NEA’s financial statements include Rs 5.6bn in discounts offered during the Covid-19 period, resulting in a net receivable of Rs 2.31bn from the government, which requires verification and settlement.

Construction of the suspension bridge intended to connect villages along the Kali Gandaki River in Thasang Rural Municipality-2, Mustang, has once again been stalled. Although 75 percent of the foundation and civil works for the Kowang-Sauru suspension bridge have been completed, construction has been halted for the past five months.

The Suspension Bridge Division Office, Kathmandu, contracted the 570-meter-long, 2-meter-wide suspension bridge over the Kali Gandaki River to Elite Rubina Construction JV on 12 May 2020, at a cost of Rs 50m. Initially, Elite Construction, the main company of the joint venture, began the work but left the project incomplete after partial progress.

According to the contract, the bridge was to be completed within 30 months, with a deadline of No 2022. However, the construction company repeatedly extended this deadline, citing disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, snowfall, and adverse weather conditions.

After the joint venture partner Rubina Construction abandoned the project, Elite Construction resumed responsibility in March 2024. Elite deployed Nikesh Shrestha as its site representative to oversee the bridge construction. Following Shrestha’s involvement, the foundation work—including two 6-meter deep foundations in the Kali Gandaki River—was completed by Dec 2024. Shrestha also reported that all civil work on the bridge is now complete, with overall physical progress reaching 75 percent.

“All the civil work has been done; only the bridge fitting remains,” Shrestha said. “If I had been allowed to continue, the bridge would have been finished by now. However, I have since been removed from the project.” He added that Elite Construction is preparing to assign a new representative to complete the finishing work.

Gautam Sherchan, Ward Chairperson of Thasang Rural Municipality-2, confirmed that construction has been stalled again for six months. He noted that the bridge, originally scheduled for completion three years ago, remains unfinished due to delays by the construction company.

Local resident Sojan Hirachan from Thasang-2 Sauru said Elite Construction has stored the bridge’s beams and steel parts near the site, but the fitting work has yet to progress. The bridge will directly benefit villages such as Sauru, Sirkhum, and Kokhethanti, located across the Kali Gandaki from the national highway.

Currently, villagers must risk crossing the river during the rainy season or travel about one and a half hours via the Kokhethanti suspension bridge to reach essential services such as the rural municipality office, schools, health centers, and the district headquarters in Jomsom. Hirachan said completing the new bridge would reduce this travel time to just 15 minutes.