Nepal

Nepal has extended an economic aid of USD 200,000 for relief and rescue operations in flood-hit Sri Lanka, underlining that it stands firmly with the island nation in this difficult time. Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity. As of Sunday, 334 people have been killed, with 370 missing, in catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16. "As a gesture of solidarity, the Government of Nepal has decided to extend an assistance of USD 2,00,000 for the relief and recovery operations," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on Sunday. Acknowledging the close bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, the ministry said Kathmandu stands firmly with Colombo in this difficult time. "The Government of Nepal offers its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families

Nepal's Bajhang district of Sudur Paschim province was hit by a 4.4. magnitude earthquake on Sunday. There were no immediate reports of any damage caused by the earthquake, officials said. The epicentre of the quake that struck at 12:09 pm (local time) was Saipal mountain in Bajhang district, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre (NEMRC). The tremors were also felt by people living in the neighbouring districts, including Bajura, in the westernmost province, NEMRC said. Nepal lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (Seismic zones IV and V), making it extremely vulnerable to earthquakes, and experiences multiple quakes in any given year.

Nepal's central bank on Thursday issued new Rs 100 denomination bank notes that have a revised map of the country, including the controversial Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura territories, termed as artificial enlargement by India. The new note from the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) bears the signature of previous Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari. The date of issuance of the bank note is mentioned as 2081 BS, which denotes the previous year, 2024. During the Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli-led government, Nepal had updated the map, comprising Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura territories, through a Parliament endorsement in May 2020. Clarifying the matter regarding the updated version of map, an NRB spokesperson said that the map is already there in the old Rs 100 bank note and it has been revised as per the government's decision. Among various denominations of bank notes such as Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, only the bank note with Rs 100 denomination bears the map of Nepal, others

Forty-two glacial lakes in Nepal have been identified as being at critical risk of bursting, according to experts. A potential glacial lake outburst flood could result in massive loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) expert Sharad Prasad Joshi warned on Friday during a discussion held in Khandbari, the headquarters of Sankhuwasabha district. A glacial lake is a body of water that originates from a glacier. It typically forms at the foot of a glacier, but may form on, in, or under it. Joshi said an ICIMOD report titled 'Risks Arising From Rapid Changes in Nepal's Glaciers and Glacial Lakes' had classified 42 of the 2,069 glacial lakes across the country as "highly at risk", all located in the Koshi province. In Sankhuwasabha, four glacial lakes, including those in the Bhotkhola and Makalu areas, have been listed as high risk, he said. The Tallopokhari glacial lake in the lower Barun area has been identifi

A curfew was imposed in parts of Nepal's Bara district bordering India on Wednesday after Gen Z youths clashed with cadres of CPN-UML, the party of ousted prime minister K P Sharma Oli, officials said. The Bara district administration office said the curfew would remain in force from 12:30 pm to 8:00 pm within a 500-metre radius of Simara Airport after hundreds of Gen Z youths gathered there shouting slogans against the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist). The clash erupted when a Buddha Air flight carrying CPN-UML general secretary Shankar Pokharel and party youth leader Mahesh Basnet was to take off from Kathmandu for Simara, where they were scheduled to address an anti-government rally, police said. As news of the CPN-UML leaders flying to Simara spread, Gen Z protesters gathered at the airport to oppose their arrival, triggering a clash with local CPN-UML cadres. Authorities subsequently imposed the curfew around the airport area to bring the situation under ...

A major hurdle in the construction of the Kolkata Metro's Purple Line (Joka-Park Street) was resolved after the project's implementing agency, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), and the Consulate General of Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to exchange land parcels. Under the agreement, 409.53 sq. metres of land owned by the Consulate General of Nepal will be exchanged with 526.34 sq. metres of adjoining Metro Railway land, facilitating the construction of a ramp between Mominpur and Kidderpore for the proposed Mominpur-Esplanade underground section. This 409.53 sq. metres of land is urgently required for construction of a ramp between Mominpur and Kidderpore, officials said. He recalled that several meetings took place from 2022 to 2025 between the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, India's Ministry of External Affairs, Metro Railway, and RVNL in Kathmandu, New Delhi, and Kolkata to ensure smooth land exchange. "After multiple rounds of discussions, the Nepal governme

EU urged to recognise domestic carbon costs as CBAM nears; SIMS easing and policy changes underway

The Election Commission of Nepal on Sunday published the schedule for the parliamentary election to be held in March. The candidates will have to file nomination for the election to the House of Representatives from 10 am to 6 pm on January 20, according to a notice published by the Election Commission. The list of the candidates will be published on the same day after 5 pm. The time for registering protest against any candidate is fixed from 10 am till 3 pm on January 21. The verified list of candidates will be published the next day. Those wishing to withdraw their candidacy can do so till 1 pm on January 23. The final list of candidates will then be published on the same day within 3 pm and the election symbol will be officially allotted to the candidates. The election will be held on March 5. The voting will start at 7 am and end at 5 pm, according to the Election Commission. As per the Nepalese constitution, 165 members of the House of Representatives are elected through fir

Heads of the security forces of India and Nepal will hold their annual border talks here from Wednesday over a host of issues related to curbing trans-frontier crimes and sharing of real-time intelligence inputs. This will be the first time that the two forces -- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal -- will have a top-level meeting after the 'Gen Z' driven violent protests that rocked Kathmandu in September. The 9th annual coordination meeting will be held between November 12-14, an official statement said. The Indian side will be led by SSB Director General (DG) Sanjay Singhal, while the Nepalese delegation is headed by APF Inspector General (IG) Raju Aryal. The deliberations are expected to lay "special emphasis" on developing effective mechanisms for joint prevention of trans-border crimes, establishing faster and more efficient channels for real-time information sharing and reinforcing coordinated border management practices to ensure peace and .

Nepalese Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Saturday said that a prosperous, peaceful and civilised country can be built only through collaboration and cooperation with the private sector, adding that good governance is the pre-requisite of any country to achieve economic growth and social justice. The entire country is gearing up for the upcoming general elections scheduled for March 5, 2026, she said while addressing the National Economic Dialogue version two organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in Kathmandu. PM Karki said that the country will move forward on the path of a sustainable democratic system through the election. Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal assured that the government will bring a package to uplift the private sector, which was affected by the Gen Z movement. The private sector industries and businesses have suffered a loss of around NPR 88 billion due to the violent agitation. Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal said that the

A Chinese company has bagged a contract to design and print 430 million pieces of Nepal's Rs 1,000 denomination banknotes, officials said on Saturday. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) issued a letter of intent to the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation on Friday for the design, printing, supply and delivery of the notes, the bank officials said. The total project cost has been fixed at USD 16.985 million, according to the Currency Management Department of the bank. The Chinese company was selected on the basis of the lowest evaluated bid. The firm has previously printed Nepalese banknotes of Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 100, and Rs 500 denominations, the officials said.

Each revolt in our neighbourhood was driven by corruption, with lessons for India

Like in Darbhanga, where people are not happy with their lot but have made their peace with it, in Nepal too, structural change seems a bridge too far

Jobs are scarce and competition is fierce, even for low-paying work

Bipin Joshi was 23 when he left Nepal for Israel as part of an agricultural study program. Less than three weeks into his time there, he was taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023

Nepal's deposed Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday said the current government is trying to arrest him without sufficient ground while claiming that it is not serious in conducting the general election on March 5, 2026. During his first interaction with editors and senior journalists in Kathmandu over a month after his ouster from power, Oli said his party, CPN-UML, will seek reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives. The former PM added that the government was trying to arrest him by hook or crook, though there was no sufficient ground for the same. Oli resigned in early September after violent protests by the youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media. Former top judge Sushila Karki became the interim prime minister on September 12. President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved parliament on her recommendation. The next general election is set to take place on March 5, 2026. The Gen Z youths were asking the government to arr

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal's Sudurpashchim province on Thursday. There were no immediate reports of any damage caused by the earthquake. The earthquake was recorded at 1:08 am, with its epicentre located at the Dantola area of Bajhang district, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre. The Bajhang district is situated around 475 km West of Kathmandu. Tremors were also felt in the neighbouring districts of Bajura, Baitadi and Darchula. There was no immediate report about any damage caused by the tremor. Nepal lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (Seismic zones IV and V), making it extremely vulnerable to earthquakes. It experiences multiple quakes in any given year.

Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel was hospitalised on Saturday after experiencing sudden health problems, according to authorities, who said his condition is normal so far. Paudel, 80, was admitted to the Manmohan Cardiothoracic and Vascular Transplant Centre here after his health condition deteriorated, according to the sources at the President's Office. He complained of a severe headache and vomiting and was immediately taken to the hospital, according to hospital sources. Doctors are monitoring his health condition, and so far it is normal, said a press release issued by the hospital. President Paudel was supposed to hold discussions on Saturday morning with representatives of the Gen Z group, around 20 of whom had already reached the President's Office for dialogue. However, after Paudel's health deteriorated, the dialogue was postponed till Monday, the sources said. In 2023, Paudel was airlifted to India for treatment for a chest-related ailment at the All India Institute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing and asserted that as a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required. At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. Of 40 deaths, 37 were reported from different areas of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a press release. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "The loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing. We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time." "As a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required

At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. As many as 37 people were killed in different places of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a press release. Of the 37, eight people each were killed in Deumai and Maijogmai municipalities, six each in Ilam municipality and Sandakpur rural municipality, five in Suryodaya municipality, three in Mangsebung and one in Fakfokthum village, according to the NDRRMA. One person died in Panchthar due to landslide and one each were killed in Khotang and Udayapur districts as they were swept away by floods, said the official. Four people have gone missing from Rasuwa district as they were swept away by floods. A person buried in landslide in Panchthar district has also gon