- Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Kathmandu, May 28: Both the Houses of Federal Parliament – House of Representatives (HoR) and National Assembly (NA) are convening their meetings today.
The HoR meeting is scheduled to take place at 11.00 am on Wednesday.
Due to the protests from opposition parties on Tuesday, the lower house meeting was postponed without entering into the regular agenda.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat has prepared a tentative agenda for today’s meeting.
According to the agenda, Chairperson of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, Ramhari Khatiwada, is scheduled to present the ‘Report of the Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080’ in today’s meeting.
Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, will present the Economic Survey of the fiscal year 2081/82.
According to the tentative agenda, a proposal will be presented seeking consideration on the amendment to Some Nepal Acts Related to Land Management, 2082 BS after holding clause-wise discussion today.
Additionally, in the meeting of the HoR, Chairperson of the Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Natural Resources Committee Kusum Devi Thapa, will present the ‘Annual Report of the Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Natural Resources Committee, 2082’.
Secretary General of the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Padma Prasad Pandey, informed that the concerned ministers will respond to oral questions related to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health and Population.
Likewise, the meeting of the National Assembly will be held at 1:15 PM today.
In the NA meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel is scheduled to present the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2081/82.
Similarly, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya, will present a proposal to send the ‘Some Nepal Laws Amendment Bill, 2080’ received from the HoR with a message to the Legislative Management Committee for detailed discussion.
Today, in the NA meeting, there is an agenda for the concerned ministers to respond to oral questions related to the Ministry of Urban Development, Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Health and Population, and Forest and Environment. —
Weather changes likely in most parts of country
Kathmandu, May 28: The country now is under the influence of western and local winds.
Additionally, there is a partial influence of the vapour-rich winds coming from the Bay of Bengal, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
This afternoon, there will be partial to generally cloudy weather in the hilly areas of the Lumbini Province and other parts of the country, while remaining areas will have clear weather.
In some places of the hilly region, there is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning. Light rain and snowfall is likely to occur in one or two places in the high mountainous and hilly regions of the country.
According to the Department, the Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces, along with other hilly areas, will experience partial to generally cloudy weather, while other areas will have clear weather.
Some places of the hilly areas of Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces have chances of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning. There may be light rain with snowfall in one or two places in the high mountainous region. —
‘Abortion is a need, not a privilege, and should be fully decriminalized’
Kathmandu, May 28 : The need of considering abortion from a rights-based approach and removing it from the legal framework of criminalization has been stressed.
Speaking at a recent discussion themed “My Body: My Right – Safe Abortion and Decriminalization,” organized here on Tuesday, the participants dubbed abortion as a fundamental need, not a privilege, and called for its full decriminalization.
They advocated for the explicit inclusion of the right to abortion in the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, arguing that a woman should possess the right to terminate unwanted pregnancy.
The event brought together medical professionals, rights activists, legal advocates, and journalists to highlight the legal barriers hindering the advancement of women’s bodily autonomy in regard to the abortion rights.
In his presentation, Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) Executive Director and Advocate Sabin Shrestha underscored the urgent need to fully decriminalize abortion, particularly in three critical circumstances –pregnancy on rape, fetus non-viable or having severe abnormalities, and a serious risk to the woman’s life.
While abortion up to 12 weeks on consent of the pregnant woman is already legalized in Nepal. The Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act 2018 allows for abortion up to 28 weeks under specific circumstances—such as threats to the woman’s physical or mental health, fetal impairment, or cases of rape or incest. However, the Penal Code 2017 decriminalizes abortion up to 18 weeks in cases of rape or incest.
Advocate Shrestha highlighted the discrepancies between the two laws, calling it a source of confusion and legal ambiguity.
Presenting the case of a 12-year-old rape survivor who was forced to give birth to a child due to decriminalization of termination of the fetus up to 28 weeks, he pressed the need for totally decriminalizing abortion in some specific conditions.
Chairperson of Nepal Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr Padam Raj Panta said it is a grave challenge to improve the maternal mortality rate when a single woman dies of pregnancy complications. Speaking as a panelist, he shed light on the need for decriminalization of abortion in specific conditions.
“Abortion is legally allowed up to 28 weeks in special cases, but sometimes, out of a sense of humanity, medical professionals are compelled to prioritize the life of the mother over that of the fetus,” he stated.
Advocate Sonali Regmi, a reproductive health rights specialist, emphasized that abortion is a matter of self-dignity, personal decision-making, bodily autonomy, and security of woman. She argued that abortion must be treated as part of women’s reproductive health care and broader life cycle rights.
Regmi also challenged prevailing ‘myths’—particularly those spread by media—that underage or unmarried girls are the primary seekers of abortion services. In contrast, researches reveal that 55% of abortion seekers are women who already have numbers of children.
Regmi affirmed that denying abortion access violates fundamental human rights, including the rights to dignity, equality, education, and employment of woman.
Prabhakar Shrestha, legal advisor to the Center for Reproductive Rights, stressed the essence of policy reforms regarding abortion facility in accordance with the constitutional and international commitments on women’s rights.
Sancharika Samuha Chair Kamala Panthi concluded that most women seek abortions simply because of their need. “It’s not a choice, but sensitively rooted in necessity,” she asserted.
The gathering echoed the need for addressing legal ‘gaps’ regarding rape when it comes with minor girls, and rape survivors and the woman with disabilities. Some of the participants raised concern over the prevalence of sex-selective abortion and lack of safe abortions including in the rural areas.
The programme was jointly organized by Sancharika Samuha Nepal, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD). —
New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister arriving Nepal today
Kathmandu, May 28: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Winston Peters is arriving Kathmandu this afternoon on a two-day official visit to Nepal.
The Deputy Prime Minster will separately pay courtesy calls on President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed.
Similarly, the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand will hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba this evening.
After the meeting, there will be a joint press conference, and in his honor, Foreign Minister Dr. Rana will host a dinner.
This is first ever visit by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand to Nepal. —
Landslide disrupts Rapti Highway
Dang, May 28: The Dhangadhi-Salyan section along the Rapti Highway has been blocked.
The road has been completely obstructed due to a landslide that occurred in Kapurkot Rural Municipality-3, Chorkhola of Salyan.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Salyan District Police Office, Keshar Neupane, the landslide that fell from above the road blocked the path this morning.
Efforts are on to remove the landslide using an excavator. The police have urged small vehicles to use alternative routes via Kapurkot-Lamidanda and Kapurkot-Pakchapani-Satbasa. —
Fire engulfs Tirupati Wood Panel Industry
Itahari (Sunsari), May 28: A fire has engulfed Tirupati Wood Panel Industry located in Sunsari–Morang Industrial Corridor.
Efforts are underway to bring under control the fire that broke out at 2:30 am today.
According to the Chief of the Area Police Office, DSP Laxmi Bhandari, it is suspected that the fire occurred due to an electrical short circuit.
In order to douse the inferno, total 16 fire engines brought from Dharan, Biratnagar, Itahari, Damak, Pathari, Duhi, and Inaruwa are being used. —
