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The investigation into the assets of three former Prime Ministers–Sher Bahadur Deuba, KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal–has moved forward. 

The probe gained momentum after the Department of Money Laundering Investigation directed the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to move ahead with it. 

According to the CIB’s correspondence,Congress leader and former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka was arrested on Sunday to investigate the case.

Govinda Panthi of RSP has won in Gulmi Constituency No. 2. He secured 16,961 votes, defeating CPN-UML candidate Gokarna Raj Bista by 561 votes. Bista received 16,406 votes, while Nepali Congress’ Bhuwan Prasad Shrestha got 14,434 votes. Nepali Communist Party’s Shriram Mahat secured 3,081 votes.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new conflict that President Donald Trump said would end a security threat to the U.S. and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers, Reuters reports. 

Tehran responded by launching missiles at Israel. Explosions also rang out in nearby oil-producing Gulf Arab countries, which said they had intercepted missiles from Iran after Tehran warned it would strike the region if it was attacked, according to a report. 

Nepal marked a milestone in its geospatial journey in April 2025 with the successful completion of the country’s first-ever Inclusive Mapping Week, held at Kathmandu University. Led by a single national coordinator, the week-long initiative aimed to empower students, professionals, and communities through the use of open geospatial technologies, while strengthening Nepal’s open mapping ecosystem. 

Supported by mentorship from Kiran Ahire, Asia Pacific Community Manager at TomTom, and backed by a dedicated team of volunteers including Usha Dhakal and Lokendra Yadav, the event reached more than 400 participants and set a new benchmark for open mapping initiatives in the country. Sponsored by TomTom, the programme combined education, collaboration, and humanitarian response, making it a turning point in Nepal’s geospatial history.

The seven-day event featured intensive training sessions on OpenStreetMap, remote sensing, spatial data management, biodiversity mapping, crisis mapping, advanced visualization tools, and ground-truth mapping, offering participants both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. 

Beyond training, Mapping Week 2025 actively contributed to disaster response efforts through weekly mapathons supporting earthquake-affected areas in Nepal and Myanmar. Mapping teams focused on identifying damaged infrastructure, evacuation routes, and essential services in Koshi Rural Municipality, while also contributing critical spatial data following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on 28 March 2025, helping humanitarian agencies improve logistics and aid delivery.

The initiative also broke new ground in inclusivity, with women making up 57 percent of participants, highlighting a growing female leadership presence in Nepal’s geospatial sector. Organizers described the event not just as a training programme, but as a movement to bridge knowledge gaps, foster inclusive participation, and strengthen Nepal’s contribution to global geospatial science. 

With strong collaboration among trainers, speakers, volunteers, and participants, Mapping Week 2025 laid the foundation for future data-driven and open mapping solutions in the country, reinforcing the idea that while maps are tools, it is the mappers who drive lasting change.

TV doctor and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Punam Krishan has disclosed that she has undergone treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The 42-year-old Glasgow-born GP, who appears as a resident doctor on BBC’s Morning Live and competed on Strictly in 2024, said she received the diagnosis five months ago. She shared on Instagram that she has now completed treatment and is recovering, though the experience has left her shaken.

Posting a photo from a hospital bed, Krishan reflected on the contrast between her professional life and personal reality, saying that despite nearly two decades as a doctor, nothing prepared her for becoming a patient herself.

Krishan praised the NHS staff who treated her, calling them an “extraordinary” team, and acknowledged the emotional difficulty of the journey. She explained that she kept her illness private to protect her children, relying on support from her husband, family and close friends.

Married to Scottish Conservative MSP and health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Krishan said completing treatment has brought mixed emotions, including gratitude and relief alongside lingering shock. She said she decided to speak publicly to be honest about her experience and to highlight that cancer can affect anyone, noting she had no family history and was otherwise healthy.

Preparations are going on for the 27th Pokhara Street Festival to be held on the occasion of the New Year in Pokhara. To make the street festival a grand success, the organizers have intensified publicity in major cities across the country. The organizing team has intensified publicity in Dharan, Itahari and Biratnagar of Sunsari to invite people to participate in the street festival to be held from Dec 28 to Jan 1 2026, organized by the Pokhara Restaurant and Bar Association (REBAN).

The festival is being organized with the aim of promoting tourism, preserving local art and culture, and revitalizing economic activities, said Basanta Gautam, coordinator of the festival organizing committee. He said that Pokhara will be promoted as an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists throughout the festival period. The festival will include musical performances by local and national artists, folk duets, cultural tableaux, traditional dances, food stalls, handicraft exhibitions and various entertaining games, Gautam informed.

Coordinator Gautam said that programs like food festivals, tug of war, and talent shows will increase the special attraction of the audience. Gautam said that adventure sports competitions like boat race and waiter race, will be held in Fewa Lake. To make the festival more attractive and for tourists coming to observe, hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs will provide up to 20 percent discount on hotel rooms and special discounts on food dishes throughout the festival period, said Gopi Bhattarai, coordinator of Pokhara Tourism Year 25.

The organizer said that this festival, which is being organized with the aim of strengthening tourism, culture and local economy simultaneously, will help in introducing Pokhara’s identity at the national and international levels. To promote the festival, the organizing team is visiting places like Dharan, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Kathmandu and inviting people to attend the festival.

Opponents of Myanmar’s military rule urged citizens to stay indoors on Wednesday in a “silent strike” protesting the Dec 28 elections, which critics say are designed to legitimize the junta. Images showed empty streets in Yangon as many joined the action.

Meanwhile, authorities charged 10 pro-democracy activists in Mandalay with disrupting the electoral process after a rare flash-mob protest. The charges carry up to 10 years in prison. Despite threats to shopkeepers and tight security, activists say the strike shows public resistance to military rule remains strong.

Algerian journalist and AL24 News commentator Mehdi Ghezzar was released Wednesday morning after being briefly detained by French police near his Paris residence. Ghezzar told AL24 News he was held for several hours, calling it another instance in what he describes as growing pressure on him in France.

Ghezzar was recently removed from the French radio programme Les Grandes Gueules on RMC, where he had been a well-known voice. His exclusion followed his outspoken commentary on the war in Gaza and his strong support for the Palestinian cause. He says he has also faced repeated stops at Paris airports, despite being publicly recognised for his commentary.

His brief arrest has sparked criticism from observers who see it as part of a broader pattern of pressure on journalists whose views challenge dominant media narratives. The incident has renewed debate about press freedom in France and concerns over the gap between official commitments and practices on the ground.