Nepal

The bench of Judge Purushottam Khatiwada Kshetri at the Kathmandu District Court issued the order allowing investigators to continue the probe

Investigators in Nepal have exposed a fake helicopter rescue racket where trekkers were airlifted without real medical need and insurers were billed huge amounts through false claims

New governments in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka face test of turning protest wins into real reforms

Protests continued in Nepal for the third consecutive day following the arrest of former PM K P Sharma Oli over suppression of Gen Z protests last year, even as authorities intensified probe against three ex-prime ministers over money laundering. Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9 last year, in which 76 people, including around two dozen youths, were killed. The arrests came after the newly formed Balendra Shah government decided to implement the report of the probe commission into the Gen Z protests in its first cabinet meeting. Hundreds of members of Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Lennist) and their sister organisations and student wings gathered at Naya Baneshwor area on Monday morning carrying placards that read "Immediately release KP Oli," and "End the politics of revenge." Monday's protest rally was comparatively peaceful, unlike the protest

Nepal police on Sunday arrested former energy minister and Nepali Congress leader Deepak Khadka in connection with a money laundering case, local media reported. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police took Khadka into custody on Sunday morning, The Himalayan quoted CIB spokesperson Shiva Kumar Shrestha as saying. The police detained Khadka for investigation after receiving a request from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, The Kath Mandu Post reported. During the Gen Z protest last year, images and videos had surfaced showing burnt fragments of banknotes at the residences of Khadka and former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, it added. The findings were reportedly later confirmed through forensic laboratory tests. Khadka was accused of receiving financial benefits in exchange for facilitating licences and contracts for projects while serving as the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, it said. The arrest come

Nisha Mehta, an alumna of the College of Nursing, AIIMS, Delhi, has been appointed as the health minister of Nepal, an official statement said on Sunday. In a statement, AIIMS Delhi said, "This remarkable achievement is a moment of great pride for the institution and the nursing community at large." "Mehta's journey from bedside nursing to a key policy-making role reflects the expanding scope and leadership potential of the nursing profession," the statement said. During her time at AIIMS, she consistently displayed exceptional leadership qualities, active participation in academic and co-curricular activities, and a strong sense of responsibility traits that have clearly shaped her path toward higher leadership and public service, it added. The statement further added that her accomplishment reinforces the vital role nurses play not only in patient care but also in shaping healthcare policies and systems at national and global levels. "The College of Nursing, AIIMS, New Delhi, .

The Balen Shah-led government unveiled a 100-point reform agenda, seeking to depoliticise campuses and bureaucracy while pushing anti-corruption probes

In a post on X, Nepal PM's office said the PM was eager to work closely with PM Modi to advance the multifaceted relations between both countries

Nepal's Former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli was arrested on Saturday, a day after the newly formed government of Balendra Shah implemented the probe commission report on the Gen Z protest that rocked the nation last year. Oli, also CPN-UML chair, was arrested at the Gundu area of Bhaktapur district, 12 km east of Kathmandu, early Saturday morning, according to the police. Former Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak has also been arrested from his residence at Katunje of Suryabinayak Municipality in Bhaktapur district, police added. Both Oli and Lekhak have been arrested on charges of their involvement in suppressing the Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9 last year, in which 76 people, including around two dozen youths, were killed. The probe commission formed to investigate the incident surrounding the Gen Z movement has recommended legal action against Oli and Lekhak, among others, under criminal offence. Nepal's newly formed government, led by Balendra Shah,

High unemployment, migration surge and heavy remittance reliance pose key economic challenges for Nepal's new PM Balendra Shah

A rapper, a structural engineer, Gen Z icon and the youngest democratically elected prime minister of Nepal, Balen Shan, a man of many firsts, created history on Friday after taking the oath to serve at the top executive post of the Himalayan nation. The 35-year-old is also the first person from the Madhes region to become the 47th prime minister of the nation. Balen's unique style and ability to connect to the Gen Z of the country, which toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government in September last year in a violent protest, made him the lead runner in the election. He defeated four-time prime minister Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist) -- CPN-UML -- by a huge margin of about 50,000 votes in Jhapa-5 constituency. Named among the 'Top 100 Emerging Leaders of 2023' by Time magazine, Balen rose to fame while working as the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor. He is credited with implementing sweeping reform programmes

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah 'Balen,' took oath as Nepal's democratically elected prime minister on Friday, around six months after the K P Sharma Oli-led government was ousted in a Gen-Z protest that shook the nation. The 35-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader was sworn in at a ceremony at the President's Office in Sheetal Niwas at the auspicious time of 12.34 pm. Balen, also an engineer, is the youngest person to assume the office in the Himalayan nation, and also the first person from the Madhes region to hold the top executive post. He was appointed as the 47th prime minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel in accordance with Article 76 (1) of the constitution earlier in the day. He is the first democratically elected prime minister to be sworn in since the coalition government led by former prime minister Oli was ousted in September last year, after the youth-led Gen Z protest against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban escalated into violence. A

The Delhi Police on Wednesday said they have busted an arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and arrested 10 people. A cache of sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including sub-machine guns and automatic pistols, along with 200 live cartridges, has been recovered from the accused, they said. According to police, a total of 21 firearms were seized during the operation, comprising high-end automatic weapons and pistols sourced from multiple countries. Among the recovered weapons are a Czech Republic-made sub-machine gun and a range of pistols of different international makes. The seized arms include PX-5.7 pistols, which are generally used by special forces, Stoeger pistols manufactured in Turkey, PX-3 pistols from China, Shadow CZ pistols from the Czech Republic, as well as Beretta (Italy), Taurus (Brazil) and Walther (Germany) pistols, officials said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the module was part of a well-organised cross-border network

A earthquake of 4.1 magnitude hit the Nepal's Sudurpaschim province on Monday afternoon. There was no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to property. According to the Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the tremor was recorded at 1:14 pm. The epicentre of the quake was located near the Rayal area of Bajhang. Tremors were also felt by residents in neighbouring districts, including Bajura and Baitadi. A 4-magnitude earthquake struck the Sudurpaschim province on March 17. The earthquake hit the Sitaula area of the Darchula district, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre. Nepal, which experiences multiple earthquakes in any given year, lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (Seismic zones IV and V), making it extremely vulnerable to earthquakes. The Himalayan nation ranks 11th among the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

The Himalayan nation is looking to nearly double its contribution to India's grid to 1.1 gigawatts this summer, when high temperatures are expected to drive record demand

Instability in West Asia often triggers volatility in global oil markets as fears of supply disruptions push prices higher

Balendra Shah's rise at 35 highlights a growing generational shift in politics even as South Asia and India remain dominated by older leaders

Balendra Shah's party won a landslide in the election that followed Nepal's Gen Z revolution. His style is pugnacious

Rastriya Swatantra Party's (RSP) prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah on Tuesday expressed confidence in further deepening "historic" Nepal-India ties and making them more "outcome-oriented". The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician is all set to become Nepal's first Madhesi prime minister and also the Himalayan nation's youngest elected executive head. Shah made the remarks in a social media post while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his wishes on the party's electoral success. "Thank you for the good wishes honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," he said in the post. "I express my confidence that we will work together to further strengthen, deepen and make more outcome-oriented the historic, close, and multi-dimensional relations existing between Nepal and India in the coming days," he said. The RSP, formed in 2022, has won 125 of the 165 seats under direct voting in Nepal's parliamentary polls as vote counting under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) of Nepal Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah and congratulated them for their election victory and conveyed India's commitment to work with them for mutual prosperity, progress and well-being of the two countries. In his telephonic conversations with the two leaders of Nepal, PM Modi said he was confident that with the joint endeavours, India-Nepal relations will scale new heights in the coming years. "Had warm telephone conversations with Mr. Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Mr. Balendra Shah, Senior Leader of the RSP," he said in a post on 'X'. The prime minister said he congratulated both leaders on their electoral victories and RSP's resounding success in the Nepal elections. "Conveyed my best wishes for their forthcoming new Government and India's commitment to work with them for mutual prosperity, progress and well-being of our two countries," he ...