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Nepal’s Ambassador to Germany, Shail Rupakheti, has resigned from his post after months of controversy surrounding the government’s decision to recall ambassadors.

His resignation, submitted on Wednesday, was accepted by Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal on Thursday. The earlier decision by the Sushila Karki-led government to recall ambassadors from 11 countries had been challenged in the Supreme Court of Nepal, which ordered the move not to be implemented.

Following the court’s order, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had required the concerned ambassadors to report to the ministry instead of stepping down. 

In his resignation letter, Rupakheti said he respected the court’s directive and returned to Nepal to report to the ministry as instructed. He also stated that he had forfeited all salary and benefits for the period since leaving his diplomatic post abroad.

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam  Jaishankar held a meeting in Mauritius on Friday on the sidelines of the 9th Indian Ocean Conference.

During the meeting, Jaishankar congratulated Khanal on assuming office and expressed India’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Nepal across various sectors.

Khanal is in Mauritius at the invitation of his Indian counterpart to participate in the conference, which is organized by the India Foundation.

Qatar has granted amnesty to three Nepali nationals on the occasion of Ramadan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday.

Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri said the amnesty was granted by the Emir of Qatar as part of the country’s customary practice during the holy month.

The Government of Nepal has expressed gratitude to Qatar for the gesture. Officials stated that the move reflects the long-standing and strong diplomatic ties between the two countries and is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations.

A total of 493 people have died and 38 remain missing in various disaster-related incidents across the country between Baisakh 1, 2082 and Chaitra 27, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

39 deaths and 27 missing in 329 flood incidents, injuring 14 people and affecting 3,308. Landslides claimed 76 lives with five missing in 624 incidents, leaving 92 injured and 1,566 affected.

Fire incidents were the most frequent with 3,720 cases resulting in 105 deaths, 571 injuries, and 4,260 affected. Snakebites also caused significant casualties, killing 101 people and injuring 529 in 623 incidents.

Lightning strikes killed 48 and injured 312 people, while heavy rainfall incidents left seven dead and 21 injured. Animal attacks claimed 57 lives, with one person missing and 251 injured.

Windstorms killed 13 people and affected 984 families, while avalanches caused six deaths and five missing. Other incidents, including forest fires, hailstorms, air crashes, boat capsizing, and earthquakes, also resulted in casualties and displacement.

Authorities reported no impact from cold waves this year, while 155 families were affected by epidemics, according to official data.