Trump agrees to extend EU trade talks after 50% tariff threat

US President Donald Trump has agreed to extend a deadline to negotiate tariffs with the European Union until 9 July, BBC reported.

It comes after President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she had a "good call" with Trump on Sunday.

Last month, Trump announced a 20% tariff on most EU goods, but later halved it to 10% until 8 July to allow time for negotiations. On Friday, Trump expressed frustration with the pace of negotiations with the EU and threatened to impose 50% tariffs.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said Von der Leyen told him "we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out", posting later on Truth Social that it was his "privilege to extend the deadline," according to BBC.

Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 24, medics and officials say

At least 24 Palestinians have been killed in two separate Israeli air strikes overnight, including a strike on a school sheltering displaced families in central Gaza, according to medics and civil defence officials, BBC reported.

The strike targeted Fahmi Al-Jargawi School in Gaza City, which had been housing hundreds of displaced people who fled the northern town of Beit Lahia, currently under intense Israeli military assault.

A spokesperson for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said 20 bodies, including children, were recovered from the school - many of them severely burned - after fires engulfed two classrooms turned into living quarters.

The Israeli military has been contacted for comment, according to BBC.

Trump calls Putin 'crazy' after largest Russian attack on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has said he is "not happy" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, following Moscow's largest aerial attack yet on Ukraine, BBC reported.

In a rare rebuke, Trump said: "What the hell happened to him? He's killing a lot of people." He later called Putin "absolutely crazy".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said Washington's "silence" over recent Russian attacks was encouraging Putin, urging "strong pressure" - including tougher sanctions - on Moscow.

At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in Ukraine overnight Sunday after Russia fired 367 drones and missiles - the highest number in a single night since Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, according to BBC.

Four regular flights to operate from Phaplu to Kathmandu weekly

Four regular flights will operate weekly from Phaplu Airport in Salleri, the headquarters of Solukhumbu, to Kathmandu. 

Nepal Airlines has started operating four weekly flights on the route. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) informed that Nepal Airlines has run flights services on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. 

The Phaplu-Kathmandu air services that had been halted for a protracted time due to technical glitches with the aircraft, are now back in operations. 

According to senior official of CAAN in Phaplu, Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, the resumption of flights has been made possible after the maintenance of the aircraft. 

The flight that was in operation once a week was 'grounded', which resulted in suspension of Phaplu-Kathmandu services for a long time. 

According to station chief of the Nepal Airlines in Phalpu, Tenzing Sherpa, flight services on this route had remained completely disrupted since mid-December 2024 through mid-April 2025. 

Mahesh Adhikari, a local businessperson from Salleri, said, "With the resumption of regular flights, the compulsion to travel the disaster-torn 'BP Highway' to get to Kathmandu has ended. Yet, the air service must be regular and reliable, not just temporary". 

In the past, the disruption of flights caused several complications for travel, business, emergency treatment, and essential tasks. 

Karma Sherpa, senior vice president of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), mentioned that tourism business operators are elated about the resumption of flights in the tourist district. 

 

 

 

PM Oli urges people's reps to work for development, good governance

Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has said that the elected ward chairpersons at the local level should strengthen their close relationships with the public and the party to work towards development and good governance.

Inaugurating the Bagmati province-level training program for the Ward Chairpersons elected from the CPN-UML in Lalitpur today, the party Chair Oli urged elected local body heads and deputy heads to work in coordination along with other political parties to win the trust of the general public by providing quick and easy services as well as maintaining development and good governance.

"You have been elected from the party to the position of responsibility. After winning the election, one should not cut off contact with the party as if cutting the thread of a kite. It is not acceptable to say, I won, I have no further concern. Another election will also come. Therefore, you should now actively serve the country and the people by following the party's policies and directives,” said PM Oli.

Stating that the UML is a party that is formed for establishing a true people's democracy and it is a party that steadfastly works in favor of the country's independence and territorial indivisibility, he described the CPN-UML as the country's 'protagonist party'.

"Some so-called leftists conspired against the UML, saying that they will make the UML bite the dust to the point it would be impossible to find them even by shining torchlight, but we have shattered those conspiracies and moved forward," he asserted on the occasion.

Prime Minister Oli commented that after they united the party to form the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), which had nearly two-thirds majority in Parliament, they (the so-called communists) had tried to stop the campaign of the UML to develop the country by committing the crime of division in the party. He stated that the attack on UML by both domestic and foreign forces to prevent the country's development is an attack against the nation itself.

Although there is no basis for the monarchy's return, Prime Minister Oli urged the party leaders and cadres not to let the morale of the UML fall while the reactionary elements are trying to raise their heads, emphasizing the need to dispel the illusion spread by those who shamelessly wish for the people to become 'serfs'.

PM Oli stated that currently, the corrupt and the cooperatives fraudsters are spreading confusion among the public by raising voices such as 'Oppose corruption and give justice to cooperatives victims'.

A total of 359 ward chairpersons elected from the CPN-UML from Bagmati Province are participating in this two-day training program.

 

Nepse plunges by 8. 57 points on Sunday

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 8. 57 points to close at 2, 4, 679. 98 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 1. 46 points to close at 456. 56 points.

A total of 18,505,771-unit shares of 314 companies were traded for Rs 7. 60 billion.

Meanwhile, Om Megashree Pharmaceuticals Limited (OMPL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Sindhu Bikash Bank Ltd (SINDU) was the top loser with its price dropped by 8. 28 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 50 trillion.

Gwarko's flyover will be readied for vehicular movement by mid-June: Minister Dahal

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal has said that the flyover construction at Gwarko, Lalitpur will be completed by mid-June.

During his inspection of the project site this morning, Minister Dahal said that no further delays will be allowed in the completion of the construction work. He added that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the flyover should be ready for vehicle operations by mid-June.

Secretary at the Ministry Keshab Kumar Sharma stated that some technical issues had been identified during construction but have since been sorted out. 

Director General of the Department of Roads Ramhari Pokharel highlighted the project’s significance for traffic management in the Kathmandu Valley.

According to the Department, the major construction work on the project has now been completed. 

The project, costing Rs 176 million, was supposed to be completed by February 23, 2024, but the deadline was not met. 

 

 

 

Constitution must be amended with consensus of all parties:  Sitaula

Nepali Congress leader and former Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula has said that the constitution should be amended with the consensus of all parties along with a review of all systems of the state in the context of the completion of 10 years since the promulgation of the constitution.

Speaking with journalists here today, he stated that it would only be feasible to amend the constitution with the agreement of the Nepali Congress and the CPN -UML.He also stressed that the consent of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly, and the provincial government is also necessary for the amendment of the Constitution..

Lawmaker Sitaula emphasises that the state machinery must work honestly by focusing on good governance, service delivery, and the development and construction to prevent increased despair among the people.

Suggesting the political parties to manage their affairs in a systematic manner along with internal democracy by keeping the country and the people at the centre, Sitaula said in a democracy all should listen to the voices of the opposition. 

He expressed the view that all political party leaders should responsibly fulfill their duties to strengthen the federal democratic republican system.

Leader Sitaula said that the Home Minister does not need to resign regarding the subject under investigation by the constitutional body. He mentioned that the Nepali Congress' general convention could take place in the month of Mangsir in the year 2083 BS.

Situala expressed the opinion that there should be a discussion in Parliament regarding the referendum and the establishment of a Hindu state. He also reiterated that the monarchy will not be reinstated.