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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a diplomatic initiative to investigate the death of Prissa Sah of Birgunj who was studying at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India.

Sah was found dead in her room on Thursday evening.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba took to her social media, Facebook, to express grief over the incident in which Nepali student Prissa Sah, a student of KIIT in India, was found dead at her hostel room.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated diplomatic initiatives to investigate the truth behind the incident through the Government of India, senior officials of the Odisha Government and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi on Thursday itself", Minister Rana wrote.

The Narayangadh-Butwal road section along the East-West Highway has been obstructed after the flood-fed rivulet swept away the diversion at Dumkibas .

According to the District Police Office, the highway has been completely disrupted with the flood in the Biyani Rivulet taking away the diversion this morning.

Information Officer at Nawalpur Police Office, Madhu Nepal said loaded and heavy vehicles have been stopped at Hongshi Gate and Arunkhola areas after the bridge collapsed.

However, passenger and light vehicles have been sent to their destinations via alternative routes.

Information Officer Nepal said that it will take time to bring back the obstructed road to operation.

The coalition government of Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, formed in July 2024 with promises of political stability, has not been able to function effectively. The two parties have not been able to hold even preliminary talks on constitutional amendments—one of the major tasks for which the two largest parties in parliament formed the coalition. A lack of unified support from NC is among the reasons weakening the coalition’s ability to govern effectively.

The rift within the NC, primarily between party president Sher Bahadur Deuba’s loyalists, and reformist leaders such as Gagan Thapa and Shekhar Koirala, have caused problems for the government. Thapa and Koirala, both vying for the party presidency in the coming general election and eyeing future premierships, have openly criticized the coalition. Their resistance to Deuba’s potential return as prime minister in the latter half of this parliament’s tenure has only deepened the party’s divisions and weakened its commitment to the coalition. Even Deuba’s loyalist leaders like Purna Bahadur Khadka and Prakash Sharan Mahat have hinted they prefer an alliance with the Maoist Center, with NC leading the government.

It took the government 29 days to reach an agreement with protesting school teachers because of the lack of support from the coalition partner. The protest caused significant damage to the education sector with national examination of Class 12, assessment of Secondary Education Examination (SEE) answer sheets and national school enrolment program all affected. The dismissal of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Executive Director Kulman Ghising was another such incident. Although an NC minister pushed for Ghising’s termination, NC leaders, including general secretaries duo Gagan Kumar Thapa and Biswho Prakash Sharma, vehemently opposed the decision. The protracted delay in the appointment of the governor is another example of lack of cohesion in the ruling coalition. 

The NC’s wavering commitment has created uncertainty for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. This has forced Oli to frequently seek reassurance from Deuba on the government’s future. Despite Deuba’s public support, UML leaders suspect behind-the-scenes pressures, reportedly from India, and overtures from Maoist Center Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who has signaled readiness to support Deuba’s return as prime minister. Thapa’s suggestions last month that the NC could exit the coalition, citing Oli’s leadership failures, underscores just how fragile the alliance has become.

This internal disarray threatens not only to cause the collapse of a coalition with a two-thirds majority but also to erode public trust in democratic governance. Nepal urgently needs a unified and functional government. The NC must bridge its internal divisions, set aside personal rivalries, and focus on delivering its coalition commitments—chief among them constitutional reform and effective governance. Failure to do so risks plunging the country back into another cycle of political instability. This would further alienate people at a time when some forces are calling for a revert to monarchy.

Annapurna Post, sister publication of The Annapurna Express, marked its 24th anniversary with a celebration at its office in Tinkune, Kathmandu, attended by journalists and staff members from all departments. On the occasion, Annapurna Media Network’s General Manager Manoj Basnet, Annapurna Post Editor-in-Chief Akhanda Bhandari, The Annapurna Express Editor Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Digital Editor Shambhu Kattel, Radio Annapurna Station Manager Shiromani Dawadi, Radio Annapurna News Chief Bhupal Luintel, and HR Head Shiva Basnet, among others, extended their best wishes and shared congratulatory messages.

Two district correspondents—Ratna Acharya from Sunsari and Bharat Khadka from Udayapur—were honored for their outstanding contributions to journalism. Additionally, all employees and Annapurna journalists were awarded medals in recognition of their dedicated service and contributions to the organization.

A Russian drone strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa killed at least two people and injured five more, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper. The hit caused damage to residential buildings, a grocery, and a school. Russia has not responded to the event, BBC reported.

Meanwhile, a Russian-installed official in the occupied Kherson region said a Ukrainian drone strike killed seven people at a market in Oleshky. Ukrainian army claimed they had targeted Russian soldiers and killed two.

These strikes occurred simultaneously with the signing of a US-Ukraine agreement to cooperatively develop Ukraine's oil and mineral resources, according to BBC.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been charged with abuse of power, adding to a continuing rebellion prosecution stemming from his brief martial law decree last December.

He was impeached and removed from office in April, Reuters reported.

Prosecutors announced the new charges Thursday, following a raid on Yoon's home during a bribery investigation involving his wife. If convicted of insurgency, Yoon risks life in imprisonment or death, however executions have been prohibited since 1997.

Israeli firefighting troops worked for a second day to put out wildfires near Jerusalem, which started on Wednesday along the key Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. The fire caused evacuations and major road closures, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Israel's firefighting department, 163 ground crews and 12 aircraft were dispatched to tackle the fire. Crews worked all night to reopen all main highways, including the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway.

Rescue agency Magen David Adom reported treating 23 people, mostly for smoke inhalation and burns. Seventeen firefighters were also injured, according to AlJazeera.

Police confirmed on Thursday that all roads affected by the fires had been reopened to traffic.

Koshi Province is all set to host its first-ever Investment Summit on May 1-2 in the provincial capital, Biratnagar. The provincial government aims to attract investments worth nearly Rs 175bn through the event, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, Saroj Koirala, CEO of the Provincial Investment Authority, said the summit marks a historic and result-oriented initiative for the prosperity and development of Koshi Province, which holds immense investment potential. The government will showcase 71 large-scale projects, each valued above Rs 100m, across eight key sectors including tourism, agriculture, industry, energy, infrastructure, and IT services.

According to Koirala, the total estimated cost of these showcased projects stands at Rs 173.49bn. To facilitate investment, the provincial government has amended eight key laws through ordinances, aimed at creating an investor-friendly legal framework.

On April 29, Province Chief Parshuram Khapung issued the ordinances, following the recommendation of the provincial cabinet. According to Rewatiraman Bhandari, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law and spokesperson of the provincial government, the amended laws include the Public Private Partnership and Investment Authority Act 2019, Provincial Cooperative Act, Provincial Transport Management Act, Provincial Building Act, Provincial Industrial Enterprises Act, Provincial Tourism Act, Koshi Province Private and Partnership Firm Registration Act, and the Provincial Forest Act.

Minister Bhandari said these legal reforms are expected to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and ease the investment process. Coordination has also been made with the federal government, which has already amended several related laws, and further legal initiatives are underway.

Investors from China, Russia, the United States, South Korea, India, along with non-resident Nepalis and prominent domestic industrialists, are expected to attend the summit. The event will feature six thematic panel discussions, covering areas such as agriculture and tourism potential, industrial production and marketing, infrastructure development and energy, and opportunities in health and medical education.

The opening day will include discussions on Koshi Province’s investment environment and intergovernmental coordination across Nepal’s three levels of government. To ensure the summit leads to tangible outcomes, the provincial government has also planned a pre-meeting and will conduct periodic follow-up meetings post-summit to address implementation challenges.

Koirala said the government is preparing to sign agreements to move forward with at least two dozen projects during the event.