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The events of March 28, 2025 at Tinkune remain shrouded in uncertainty. What started as a pro-monarchy demonstration quickly spiraled into a violent confrontation between protestors and police. Protestors claim the situation escalated when police fired teargas shells while they were assembling for a peaceful demonstration. On their part, police officials argue they had no choice but to intervene after some commanders allegedly urged crowds to advance toward the airport and the parliamentary building.

In the aftermath, police arrested Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leaders Rabindra Mishra and Dawlshamsher Rana for their alleged involvement in inciting a mob that vandalized multiple office buildings and private properties in the Tinkune area.  Authorities are now collecting evidence to file cases against them, while Durga Prasai—reportedly named as a protest commander—remains on the run. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Nepal Police are under fire for their handling of the protests. Reports indicate that officers used live rounds on demonstrators, with at least 20 people injured in the shootings. Tragically, two individuals—including a journalist—lost their lives, while dozens more sustained injuries. The police have admitted to the shootings, claiming they aimed to defuse tensions.

Adding to the chaos, misinformation and disinformation have flooded social media. Fake videos falsely linked to the Tinkune incident have been widely circulated, making it even harder to determine the truth. Protestors also launched a targeted attack on media houses, vandalizing the offices of Annapurna Media Network and Kantipur Television and even attempting to set them on fire.

Surprisingly, international media rights organizations and democratic nations—including the United States and the European Union—have remained silent. This marks a stark departure from their usual strong stance on press freedom violations in Nepal. The silence raises questions about whether human rights and freedom of speech are still priorities for the global democratic community. Some analysts even speculate that the shift could be linked to Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency.

Amid the growing controversy, there is mounting pressure on the government to establish an independent commission to investigate the Tinkune incident. Such a body could uncover the truth, ensure justice for victims, and hold those responsible accountable. However, Nepal’s major political parties have shown little interest in forming such a commission.

The incident has also exposed serious flaws within Nepal’s security apparatus. First, there was a lack of coordination among agencies. Second, security forces failed to gather intelligence on Prasai’s plans in advance. Lastly, Nepal’s law enforcement faces severe shortages of essential equipment, with no significant procurement in the last decade.

The government has pointed fingers at former King Gyanendra Shah, alleging that he played a role in orchestrating the protests by appointing Prasai as a commander. On March 27—just a day before the demonstrations—Shah met with Prasai, further fueling suspicions. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has publicly stated in Parliament that the former king was involved and "will not be spared." However, it remains unclear what legal actions, if any, will be taken against him.

Meanwhile, political leaders are busy countering the pro-monarchy narrative that the republican system has failed Nepal. Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has sought to shift the debate by presenting comparative data on development under monarchy versus republican governance. Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah’s move to fine the former king for the environmental damage caused by protestors has also drawn mixed reactions. Major political parties who criticized Mayor Balen’s activities in the past are now praising him, while pro-monarchy forces have decried the mayor’s action.

Despite their shared goal of restoring the monarchy, pro-monarchy factions remain divided. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leaders Rajendra Lingden and Kamal Thapa, while supporting the broader movement, chose not to participate in the March 28 protests. In contrast, Mishra and Rana did, despite warnings that Prasai’s involvement could lead to violence.

Leadership changes have also added to the instability. With Nava Raj Subedi placed under house arrest following the protests, Jagman Gurung has taken over the movement’s leadership. However, internal conflicts continue to plague the royalist forces, threatening their momentum.

India’s influence has also been a topic of debate. Last week, the CPN-UML had to issue a formal statement clarifying that it never accused India of backing the pro-monarchy movement. Despite this, some communist leaders continue to push the narrative that India is supporting the royalist cause. Meanwhile, Nepal’s Ambassador to India, Shankar Sharma, recently met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sparking speculation about whether India—or at least some of its political figures—has a stake in the unrest.

The pro-monarchy movement shows no signs of slowing down, with protestors vowing to continue demonstrations despite the setback on March 28. However, the movement faces internal fractures, wavering political support, and government crackdowns. Whether the former king himself will break his silence remains an open question, but his close aides insist that he does not take sides in political matters.

Hungary’s government has announced it will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), just before Prime Minister Viktor Orban was to receive his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the subject of an ICC arrest warrant, BBC reported.

The announcement comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Budapest early Thursday morning for his first trip to Europe since 2023, defying the ICC's arrest warrant against him.

Last November, one day after the ICC issued the arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban extended an invitation to him, according to BBC.

Despite being an ICC member, Orban swore that the EU member would not execute the warrant, seeing the court's decision as "intervening in an ongoing conflict for political purposes."

The tourism industry is struggling to reach the pre-covid numbers, with tourist arrivals via air dropping by 2.01 percent in the first quarter of 2025. 

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 298,558 international visitors arrived between January and March 2025, down from 304,693 in the same period of 2024. The decline, particularly pronounced in March, has been attributed to multiple factors, including a nighttime shutdown of Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s primary gateway, from November to March. The airport’s reduced operations to facilitate runway upgrades limited flight schedules during peak travel months, resulting in shortage of flights, lengthy transits and exorbitant ticket prices. Industry people say this forced tourists to divert to other destinations. 

While January 2025 showed a slight improvement in arrivals compared to January 2024, the momentum faltered in February and March. The most significant decline occurred in March when international arrivals fell to 121,687—a 5.05 percent drop from the 128,167 recorded in March 2024. This figure also fell short of the pre-pandemic benchmark of 127,351 visitors in March 2019.

March marks the beginning of the spring tourism season which is considered the best for trekking and mountaineering. The spring season sees a lion’s share of mountaineering expeditions coming to Nepal. Most of the expeditions on Mt Everest, the tallest peak on earth, are organized in this season.

According to tourism entrepreneurs, tourist numbers will continue to increase till May which marks the end of the climbing season and the beginning of monsoon rains. While tourist numbers dip during the three months of June, July, and August, it starts picking up once the autumn season begins in September. The autumn season continues through December. 

Tourist arrival figures released by NTB show March witnessed declines across most regions compared to the previous year. While arrivals from China fell by 5.4 percent, the number of visitors from South Asian (SAARC) countries fell by 13.4 percent and those from Europe decreased by 10.5 percent. India remained the top source country in the review month with 21,412 visitors, followed by China (11,443) and the United States (11,092). Other notable contributors included Sri Lanka (8,886), the United Kingdom (5,995), Thailand (4,986), Germany (4,709), Australia (4,228), Myanmar (3,754) and Bangladesh (3,576).

In terms of region, SAARC countries accounted for 35,287 tourists (29 percent), followed by Asian nations (except SAARC nations) 31,353 (25.8 percent), Europe 25,742 visitors (21.2 percent), the Americas 13,907 (11.4 percent), Oceania 4,643 (3.8 percent) and the Middle East 2,732 (2.2 percent).

Israeli attacks have reportedly claimed the lives of several more individuals on Gaza overnight after medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 77 Palestinians had died in strikes since dawn on Wednesday.

At least 22 people, including women and children, were murdered in a missile strike on a UNRWA medical center in the Jabalia refugee camp, which Israel has been chastised for, according to Al Jazeera.

Two rockets have been fired from Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims his forces are "seizing territory" to dismantle the Gaza Strip.

As stated by Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel's war on Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 50,423 Palestinians and injured 114,638 others. The Government Media Office increased the death toll to more than 61,700, stating that thousands of individuals missing under the debris are assumed dead, Al Jazeera reported.

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.