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The Trump administration is planning significant staff reductions at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other US intelligence agencies, according to The Washington Post.

Around 1,200 CIA positions are expected to be cut, along with thousands more across the broader intelligence community. The reductions will be made gradually, mostly through hiring cuts as opposed to layoffs.

A CIA spokesperson did not confirm the exact figures but said Director John Ratcliffe is aligning the agency’s workforce with the administration’s national security goals. The change is intended to boost productivity, invigorate the organization, and make room for fresh leadership.

In March, the CIA announced plans to fire some younger workforce deemed unsuitable for intelligence work. In February, the agency offered buyouts to a select group of employees, though the number who accepted remains unclear. These changes are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to downsize key government agencies and reshape the intelligence community, The Washington Post reported.

At least six people were killed and around 80 others injured in a crowd crush at the Sree Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao village, Goa, during the annual Shri Lairai Zatra festival on Friday night, Al Jazeera reported.

The tragedy occurred as tens of thousands of devotees gathered for the widely recognized event, which is famed for its firewalking ceremonies. Chaos broke out in a tiny, steep path near the temple, leading some to tumble and triggering a stampede, according to Director General of Police Alok Kumar.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed great grief and pledged his full support to the victims and their families. According to State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, five of the injured are still critically ill and on ventilator support, while others are receiving treatment in an emergency unit, according to Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences and said the local administration is assisting those affected.

On 2 May 2025, Ambassador Rob Fenn and Mrs Julia Fenn hosted friends from across the UK-Nepal relationship to celebrate the official birthday of His Majesty King Charles III. Nepal’s Vice President, Hon. Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav graced the event.

The event highlighted another year in the UK’s unique relations with Nepal – following soon after the visit of the Duke and Dutchess of Edinburgh in February. It helped to celebrate some of the amazing examples of people-to-people friendship between the two countries, the role of Gurkhas, our business and investment links, education collaboration, and incredible development partnership with Nepal. Ambassador Fenn thanked Nepal and Nepalis for that longstanding friendship which continues to grow.

Nepal government officials, political party leaders, academics, Chevening scholars, development partners, members from diplomatic community, and media attended the event. The King’s Birthday is also marked as a way to celebrate the UK National Day.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Fenn said, “Nepal’s progress is attracting global attention. In London – for example – financiers are starting to talk about Nepal as an attractive destination for investment. They have a sentimental attachment to Nepal, recently refreshed by a spectacular visit to the country by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh – who have been raving about Nepal’s friendliness and beauty ever since.

The government has announced to hire interns in the government services.

Making public the government’s policies and programs, President Ram Chandra Paudel said that interns will be hired in the government services from local level to center.

The government has announced to celebrate the coming decade as the decade of domestic employment.

Presenting the government’s policies and programs, President Ram Chandra Paudel said that domestic employment will be created through both employment and wage employment.

The government has announced to regulate the use of social media.

He said so while presenting the policies and programs of the government on Friday.

President Paudel said that social media should be regulated to promote social harmony.

The government has announced that the School Education Bill and the Civil Service Bill will be endorsed in this session.

Presenting the government’s policies and programs, President Ram Chandra Paudel said that the School Education Bill and Civil Service Bill will be passed in this session.

The teachers from across the country had staged Kathmandu-centric protests for the past one month demanding enactment of the School Education Act.

They suspended the protests after striking a nine-point agreement with the government.

Remittances have significantly transformed the life of families in rural areas of Arghakhanchi. With the money sent by family members working overseas, many households have been able to upgrade their homes, get internet access, and buy smartphones to stay in touch with their loved ones. 

Another notable change can be seen in the children’s education. Today, many families send their children to private schools.   

An estimated 55,000 youths from Arghakhanchi alone have gone abroad for employment. However, there is no data on those who leave without completing formal processes—such as those using tourist or student visas. In fiscal year 2022/23, a total of 9,526 people, including 633 women, went abroad for work from Arghakhanchi. Across Nepal, over 7.8m workers have received official work permits for foreign employment.

“Limited employment opportunities, poverty, and other socio-economic factors are driving people abroad,” said Khimananda Bhusal, chief administrative officer of Sandhikharka Municipality. By the end of the first half of the current fiscal year, 699,699 Nepalis had left the country for employment. Around 93 percent of them went to Malaysia and Gulf countries, while the remaining seven percent went to destinations such as Japan, Bahrain, South Korea, and Croatia.

According to the National Statistics Office, 72 percent of remittances are spent on household expenses, 15.8 percent on loan repayments, 4.6 percent on children’s education, and 1.9 percent on real estate. Only 1.9 percent of the total is being saved. Remittances reach 56 percent of households nationwide and 89.6 percent in Lumbini Province.

An informal survey conducted two years ago by Sathi Savings and Loan Cooperative and Arghakhanchi District Savings and Loan Cooperative revealed that 80 percent of remittances are spent on luxury and non-productive sectors. Despite limited local government efforts to promote business or self-employment, the flow of remittance money continues unabated.

Roughly Rs 7.5bn enters Arghakhanchi annually through remittances. Of this, about 60 percent—or Rs 4.5bn—is spent on daily needs, food, vehicles, fuel, clothing, phones, and communications. The remaining 40 percent, or Rs 3bn, goes into relatively productive areas like home construction and agriculture, according to Prakash Bhusal, President of both the Arghakhanchi District Savings and Loan Cooperative and Sathi Cooperative. Much of this is used to purchase property in places like Kapilvastu, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Dang, Chitwan, and Kathmandu.

However, only 20 percent of remittances are invested in genuinely productive ventures such as agricultural farms, grocery stores, hotels, and transportation services like taxis and buses. Even among those who venture into such businesses, many discontinue midway. 

“The earnings of youths working abroad are mostly spent on luxuries and daily needs. To redirect funds into productive use, regulations are necessary,” said Krishna Prasad Shrestha, Mayor of Sandhikharka Municipality.

To address this, the local government is providing technical support and grants to returnee migrants engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. “We have distributed mini-tillers, grinding mills, and other equipment to help modernize traditional farming,” said Chhabilal Poudel, Mayor of Sitganga Municipality. The municipality is also providing seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs.

Pradeep Khanal, an official at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Transport of the Lumbini Province Government, said that over 500,000 Nepalis go abroad for employment annually, with more than 2,000 people leaving each day with work permits.

As the number of migrant workers grows, remittances continue to rise. In the fiscal year 2023/24, remittance inflow increased by 16.5 percent, reaching Rs 1.445trn—equivalent to 25.3 percent of the national GDP. The primary destinations for Nepali workers include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, Kuwait, Croatia, Romania, Japan, South Korea, and Bahrain. Nepal has signed agreements allowing legal employment in 111 countries.