President dissolves House of Representatives, next election on March 5, 2026
President Ram Chandra Paudel has dissolved the House of Representatives, the lower House of the federal parliament, upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Sushila Karki. It is effective from 11 pm Friday.
According to a press release issued by the Office of the President, the next election to the HoR will be held on March 5, 2026.
Former CJ Karki sworn in as interim government PM of Nepal
Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been sworn in as the Prime Minister of the interim government of Nepal.
President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy amidst a function at Sheetal Niwas.
After Gen Z's demand and all-party consultation, President Paudel appointed Kaski as the head of the government in accordance with Article 61 of the Constitution.
Karki is the first lady Prime Minister of Nepal.
She was ready to become the Prime Minister after an agreement was reached to dissolve the Parliament.
NA urges all not to believe in fake news
The Nepal Army has urged all not to believe in misleading and fake news.
Issuing a press release today, the Directorate of the Public Relations and Information of the NA urged this, saying different types of criticism, opinion and analysis have been made involving the NA in this current situation.
It shared that the NA has been making public its opinion and activities continuously through press releases, press notes and official social networking sites.
The Directorate also mentioned that coordination could be made with the Directorate as well as then Army Headquarters in local levels to exchange army-related information.
One can contact at mobile number 9852081704 for Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Jhapa, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Morang, Sunsari, Khotang, Udayapur, Solukhumbu and Okhaldhunga), at mobile number 9854020772 for Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Sindhuli, Ramechhap and Dolakha, at mobile number 9863028884 for Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Makawanpur, Dhading and Chitwan and at mobile number 9856011439 for Gorkha, Tanahu, Syangja, Parbat, Kaski, Manang, Lamjung, Baglung, Myagdi and Mustang for this.
Similarly, coordination could be made by dialing mobile number 9863029137 for Nawalparasi East, Nawalparsi West, Rupandehi, Palpa, Kapilvastu, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Dang, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Salyan, Rukum East and Rukum West, at mobile number 9863029177 for Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajrkot, Kalikot, Jumla, Dolpa, Mugu and Humla, at 9762306561 for Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Doti, Achham, Bajura, Baitadi, Darchula and Bajhang and at mobile number 9860113622 for Kathmandu, Bhaktaour, Lalitpur, Kavrepalanchowk and Sindhupalchowk, reads the press release.
Public buses start operating their services from New Bus Park
Public buses have started operating their services from Gongabu-based New Bus Park from today.
Public transport service, which was closed after the government issued prohibitory orders and curfew in the aftermath of the Gen Z protest launched on September 8 and 9, has been resumed gradually from today.
Human Resources Chief of Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd Pankaj Malla said dozens of public vehicles have left Kathmandu Valley between 7 am and 10 am today.
Earlier, issuing a press release Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, an umbrella organization of transport entrepreneurs, had directed the transport operator organizations not to operate their service in recent circumstances.
The vehicles have left the Kathmandu Valley on their own.
Senior President of the Federation Saroj Sitaula shared that coordination with security bodies and ministry was underway regarding how to operate transport service in an institutional manner in coming days.
Editorial: Go green
We don’t want to turn this beautiful planet, the only living planet, into one huge waste dump, do we?
Facts first.
Global pollution is rising due to rapid economic growth, population increases, and insufficient environmental management, the World Bank states: This poses serious health risks for people and ecosystems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Contributing to these challenges, the global economy relies on deeply intertwined supply chains, sustained by more than 100bn tons of raw materials entering the system each year. Intensive material consumption depletes natural resources and causes negative environmental impacts at every stage of the product lifecycle. Global waste is expected to increase to 3.4bn tons by 2050.
Pollution undermines sustainable economic growth, exacerbates poverty and inequality in both urban and rural areas, and significantly contributes to climate change. As the largest environmental cause of disease and premature death, pollution is estimated to result in several times more deaths than from AIDS, TB and malaria combined.
Much of the summer that has just passed by witnessed worsening air pollution levels, choking a large section of the national population due to wildfires, drought conditions, emissions from vehicles that run on dirty fuels and emissions from beyond the national borders. This should have come as a wakeup call for the federal government, prompting increased investments in firefighting equipment, enforcement of stringent emission control measures and serious steps toward a green economy.
Melting Himalayas, polluted water bodies, rising temperatures, rapid losses of flora and fauna, lungs craving for a breath of fresh air and ever-growing waste dumps—they all point toward a climate emergency.
Granted that we as a nation have a nominal carbon footprint, but we still need to take some serious steps to curb pollution pervading the air, water, ether and land. While the major onus is on our governments at the center, provinces and locals to curb pollution within the national jurisdictions, we as a people should also desist from activities that contribute to this scourge.
How about honking less and less? How about minimizing the use of plastics? How about turning down the volume of our audiovisual systems? How about curbing the use of vehicles that run on dirty fuels?
And how about having indoor plants? Pollution control cannot wait. Let’s join hands against this scourge.
Int’l tourism up five percent in six months
International tourism continued its post-pandemic recovery in the first six months of 2025 with a five percent growth. According to the latest World Tourism Barometer from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals grew five percent to 690m in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024. This is about four percent above pre-pandemic levels.
Africa posted the sharpest rise in arrivals, up 12 percent compared to the same period in 2024, with North Africa (14 percent) and Sub-Saharan Africa (11 percent) both recording double-digit growth. Asia-Pacific followed closely with an 11 percent increase, driven by a 20 percent surge in North-East Asia. However, international tourist arrivals in the region still remain eight percent below 2019 levels.
Europe, the world’s largest tourism market, welcomed nearly 340m visitors between January and June. Tourist arrivals to Europe grew four percent compared to 2024 and seven percent compared to the pre-pandemic levels, according to the report. While Central and Eastern Europe rebounded strongly (nine percent), the region still trails the pre-pandemic levels by 11 percent.
The Americas recorded a modest three percent growth. South America (14 percent) recorded the highest gain, while North America and the Caribbean posted flat results, partly due to weaker demand from the United States. The Middle East saw a four percent year-on-year decline in arrivals in the review period. Despite the decline, international tourist arrivals in the region were 29 percent higher than the pre-pandemic levels.
According to the report, several destinations posted standout results in the review period. Japan and Vietnam (21 percent each), South Korea (15 percent), Morocco (19 percent), Mexico and the Netherlands (seven percent). France and Spain, the world’s top two tourist destinations, both reported five percent growth. The UNWTO said in its periodic report that the rebound was supported by rising air connectivity. Citing IATA, it said international passenger traffic and capacity rose seven percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025. Hotel occupancy reached 69 percent in June, slightly below last year, but matched 71 percent in July, it added.
Tourism receipts also recorded strong gains in the review period. According to the report, Japan (18 percent), the UK (13 percent), France (nine percent), Spain (eight percent) and Türkiye (eight percent) all reported robust earnings. Outbound spending from major markets such as China (16 percent), Spain (16 percent) and the UK (15 percent) also fueled demand, it added. UNWTO expects international tourist arrivals to grow by three percent to five percent in 2025.
Some places likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that the low pressure trough of the monsoon is currently situated around the average position.
The weather according to the Department will generally be cloudy across the country today. This afternoon, there is a possibility of moderate rainfall in the hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki Provinces, as well as in some places of Lumbini and Sudurpashchim Provinces, and a few locations in the remaining areas.
Additionally, there is a chance of heavy rainfall in one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces, and the hilly and Terai regions of Lumbini and Sudurpashchim Provinces.
The weather will generally remain cloudy across the country tonight.
Moderate rainfall is likely to take place in some areas of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces, as well as in a few locations in the remaining hills and Tarai regions.
Heavy rainfall is predicted in one or two places in the hilly areas of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces.
54 escaped prisoners return to Chitwan Jail
Inmates who escaped from the Bharatpur Jail in Chitwan have started returning voluntarily.
Among the inmates who escaped after breaking jails on Wednesday morning, 54 have surrendered. A total of 740 inmates had fled from Bharatpur Jail.
Chief of Chitwan District Jail, Ravindra Dhungana, shared the information that the escapees have started to return gradually.
The inmates had breached the security perimeter of the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police to escape. Dhungana informed that the escaped inmates are coming back after telephonic calls.
'The atmosphere on Wednesday was different. At the moment, everyone fled,' Dhungana said, 'Now the escapees are returning, maybe because they realize the government would not leave them wherever they are’.
The inmates had started vandalizing the jail and set fires, which put the security personnel in a difficult position to control them.
After the incident of arson, the security personnel were forced to let the inmates go. The inmates had set the main gate of the prison on fire. The Chitwan jail has a capacity to accommodate only 550, but housed 740 inmates, including 46 women, Dhungana informed.
