Nepal

Delhi Police busts cross-border arms smuggling racket; 10 arrested

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

Earthquake of 4.1 magnitude hits Nepal's Bajhang, no damages reported

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.

Nepal seeks fourfold increase in hydropower supplies to India amid Iran war

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

Nepal hikes petrol prices by NPR 15 per litre amid West Asia crisis

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

Datanomics: The age divide in politics as Nepal readies youngest PM

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

He raps, he rants, he promises change. meet Nepal's presumptive new leader

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

Will work with India to further strengthen bilateral ties, says Balen Shah

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 ...

PM Modi speaks to Nepal leaders Rabi Lamichhane, Balendra Shah

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 ...

From rapper to Nepal's likely PM: All you need to know about Balendra Shah

From rapper and civil engineer to Kathmandu mayor and now prime minister-in-waiting, Balendra 'Balen' Shah has emerged as the face of Nepal's youth-driven political shift

Nepal polls: RSP wins 124 seats, heads toward two-thirds majority

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is heading towards a two-thirds majority in Nepal's parliamentary polls, securing 124 seats under direct voting and nearly 40 lakh votes under the proportionate-voting system as of 7 am on Monday. The RSP has won 124 seats and is leading in one seat, whereas the Nepali Congress (NC) has won 17 seats and is leading in one seat. The CPN-UML has won eight seats and is leading in one seat and the NCP has won seven seats. The Shram Sanskriti Party has won three seats, the RPP and Independent candidates have won one seat each. So far, the results for 161 of the 165 seats have been declared under direct voting. The outcome on the remaining four seats is expected to be declared in the afternoon. Under proportionate voting, the RSP has secured 37,89,803 votes, the NC 12,75,594, the CPN-UML 10,79,726, the NCP 5,55,300, the Shram Sanskriti Party 2,65,398, the Janata Samajwadi Party 1,16,463 and the Rastriya Parivartan Party has bagged 1,08,084 votes. Nepal i

Best of BS Opinion: Broader ecosystem response needed to check cyber fraud

Today's Opinion highlights RBI's draft digital fraud framework, Nepal's political churn under Balen Shah, questions around India's growth optimism, LBS reforms, and a book on plastic's global spread.

India eyes reset in Nepal ties under Balen Shah's stable government

With Balen Shah's Rashtriya Swatantra Party heading for a landslide in Nepal's polls, New Delhi hopes a stable majority government will reset strained ties after the K P Sharma Oli era

Himalayan hopes: RSP's decisive victory raises Gen Z's expectations

Mr Shah, popularly known as Balen, rode a wave of GenZ discontent to defeat four-time former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli

Balendra Shah's RSP makes history with landmark victory in Nepal election

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's RSP is all set to form the next government in Nepal after securing a sweeping victory in the crucial general election on Saturday, decimating the established parties in the politically-fragile country. Popularly known as "Balen", the 35-year-old prime-ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) defeated four-time former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party -- the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) -- by a huge margin of about 50,000 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency. Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes against 74-year-old Oli's 18,734, the Election Commission (EC) said. Balen is expected to be the next prime minister of Nepal, reflecting a public mood of rejection of established parties. Balen will be the first Madhesi prime minister of the Himalayan country as also the youngest to occupy the top post in Nepal's parliamentary history. The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah is Nepal's rising star in politics

Balendra Shah 'Balen', the rapper-turned-politician who won Kathmandu's 2022 mayoral polls as an independent, has become the face of a generational change, symbolising a break from Nepal's traditional parties. Popular as 'Balen,' the prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) defeated four-time prime minister K P Sharma 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 on Saturday. The 35-year-old engineer was a popular choice to lead the interim government after Gen Z youths toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government in September last year, following two-day nationwide violent protests against corruption and a ban on social media. But Balen declined then to lead the interim government, saying he would rather head the government by contesting the parliamentary election for a full term. In January, he joined the newly formed Rastri

RSP's Balendra 'Balen' Shah defeats Oli, set to form next govt in Nepal

RSP's Balendra Shah on Saturday defeated four-time PM K P Sharma Oli by a huge margin and set to form the next government in Nepal, decimating traditional political parties in the first general elections since last year's violent Gen Z protests demanding generational change and corruption-free regime. Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah 'Balen,' the prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) defeated 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. Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes against 74-year-old Oli's 18,734, the Election Commission (EC) said. The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 62 seats out of the 78 seats for which results have been declared by 6:30 pm, according to the Election Commission (EC). RSP's seats include a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of Kathmandu district even as it is leading in 60

Balen Shah's RSP heads for victory in Nepal; Gen Z voters demand solutions

Young voters say mandate for new leadership must translate into visible change, warning that promises alone will not address corruption, unemployment, weak public services, and political instability

Nepal general election: Balendra Shah's RSP wins 20 seats, leads in 98

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was on Saturday heading towards a sweeping victory in Nepal's first general elections since the violent Gen Z protests, shattering the dominance of established political parties in the politically fragile nation. According to the latest Election Commission data, the RSP has won 20 seats and is ahead in 98 others. The election is being closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to take forward the developmental partnership between the two sides. "We look forward to working with the new Government of Nepal to further build on the robust multifaceted ties between our two countries and peoples for mutual benefit," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said in Delhi on Thursday. He said India has "consistently supported peace, progress and stability in Nepal and in keeping with our commitment, provided logistical ...

Ex-rapper's party heading towards landslide victory in Nepal elections

Rastriya Swotantra Party is leading in 23 seats, while Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are leading in three each as per the preliminary election results. Vote counting started late on Thursday night, according to the Election Commission. Counting is expected to be completed by Friday night. Nepal witnessed about 60 per cent voter turnout during the elections to the House of Representatives on Thursday - the country's first polls since violent Gen Z protests that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government last year.

Nepal votes peacefully in crucial election, first since Gen Z protests

Nepalese on Thursday morning started to reach polling booths to cast their vote in crucial general elections, the first since a violent Gen Z-led protest that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last year. More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese will be exercising their franchise to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from among the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates vying for 110 seats through proportionate voting. The voting started at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm. The counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected. Addressing a press meet here on the eve of the polls, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari on Wednesday had said that all preparations for the election had been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic exercise.